^  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^ 


MEMOIR 


LIFE  OF  THE  RIGHT  REVEREND 

GEORGE    BURGESS,    D.D., 

FIRST    BISHOP    OF    MAINE. 


EDITED   BY  THE 

REV.  ALEXANDER   BURGESS,  D.D., 

RECTOR  OF  ST.  JOHn's  CHURCH,  BROOKLYN,  LONG  ISLAND. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
CLAXTON,  REMSEN,  AND  HAFFELFINGER, 

819  AND   821   MARKET  STREET. 
1869. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1S69,  by 

CLAXTON,  REMSEN,  AND  HAFFELFINGER, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  in  and  for 
the  Eastern  District  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 


COLLINS,     PRINTER. 


"Learned,  judicious,  saintly; 
Living  for  Christ  and  the  Church; 
Loving  all,  beloved  by  all; 
Faithful  in  every  trust  even  unto  death." 


PREFACE. 


A  FEW  words  of  introduction,  besides  those  in  Section  I. 
of  this  Memoir,  are  thought  necessary. 

Three  and  a  half  years  have  elapsed  since  the  death  of 
Bishop  Burgess,  and  yet  only  now  is  this  Memorial  Volume 
completed.  Those  interested  in  its  preparation  are  not 
entirely  in  fault  for  this  delay.  It  has  been  caused  chiefly 
by  failure  in  their  efforts  to  secure  as  its  author  some  friend, 
whose  occupations  would  release  sufficient  time  for  its  care- 
ful writing,  and  whose  relations  to  the  Bishop,  and  other 
qualifications,  would  ensure  a  true  delineation  of  his  noble 
character  and  his  saintly  life. 

After  the  work  had  been  cordially  undertaken  by  more 
than  one,  and  surrendered  for  lack  of  time  or  for  other  good 
cause,  the  plan  of  linking  together  the  contributions  of  va- 
rious writers,  who  should  present  the  narrative  of  different 
parts  of  the  Bishop's  life,  or  an  estimate  of  different  features 
of  his  character,  or  of  portions  of  his  labors,  was  adopted. 
This  plan  is  unusual,  indeed,  and  lacks  the  unity  and  com- 
pleteness which  a  single   mind  and  pen  confer.      But  it  pos- 

1* 


vi  PREFACE. 

sesses  its  own  manifest  advantages,  and  it  is  hoped  will  win 
the  interest  of  the  reader,  and  not  be  unsuccessful  in  fulfilling 
the  design  of  a  memoir. 

As  the  pages  of  this  volume  are  turned,  it  will  be  seen 
that  they  are  either  from  the  Bishop's  own  pen,  in  the  form 
of  epistolary  correspondence,  sermons,  journal,  and  diary,  or 
are  contributed  by  those  who  have  been  associated  with  him 
in  the  different  portions  and  labors  of  his  life,  and  who  conceal 
not  the  reverence  and  love  they  have  borne  to  him  ;  or  are 
written  by  her  who  for  twenty  years  held  the  closest  relation 
to  him,  and  was  best  acquainted  with  his  inner  and  hidden 
life.  The  Editor  has  but  filled  up  here  and  there  a  space 
which  was  still  left  vacant,  that  no  chasm  should  exist  in  the 
continuity  of  the  Memoir.  Though  most  of  the  Sections 
were  kindly  given  to  him  to  use,  in  whole  or  in  part,  as  he 
might  judge  best,  he  has  omitted  little,  except  where  repeti- 
tion would  thus  be  avoided. 

The  Reverend  Doctors  Alexander  H.  and  Francis  Vinton, 
playmates  in  boyhood,  are  witnesses  to  the  Bishop's  child- 
hood ;  Hon.  John  Kingsbury,  his  classmate  in  Brown  Uni- 
versity, describes  his  college  life;  Bishop  Williams  of  Con- 
necticut, and  Judge  Huntington,  a  parishioner  in  Hartford, 
contribute  an  account  of  his  labors  while  residing  in  that 
city;  Rev.  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  an  early  and  earnest  advocate 
of  the  Memorial,  writes  of  his  association  with  that  important 
measure;  Rev.  Drs.  Howe  and  Wharton  recount  his  efforts 
for  the  improvement  of  the  Hymnody  of  the  Church  ;   Bishop 


PREFACE.  Vll 

Armitage,  for  several  years  a  Presbyter  in  Maine,  gives  remi- 
niscences of  him  in  his  Diocese;  Rev.  John  F.  Spaulding, 
by  him  led  through  Candidateship  and  admitted  to  the  Priest- 
hood, contributes  an  account  of  his  interest  in  Candidates  for 
Orders  and  his  care  of  them ;  Rev.  Edward  Jessup,  once  a 
successful  Rector  in  Maine,  portrays  him  as  Pastor  of  pastors  ; 
Rev.  Dr.  Ballard  of  Maine  describes  his  historical  pursuits, 
and  gives  an  account  of  some  of  his  latest  labors  in  the  Dio- 
cese;  the  growth  of  the  Church  in  Maine,  before  his  Epis- 
copate and  during  it,  is  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  Mr.  Bartlet  of 
Massachusetts,  who  had  carefully  watched  it;  Rev.  Mr.  Dal- 
ton  and  Rev.  Dr.  Gardiner,  both  long  connected  with  his 
Diocese,  describe  him  as  a  preacher  and  teacher;  Rev.  Dr. 
Hallam,  his  friend,  of  Connecticut,  as  a  miscellaneous  writer  ; 
a  list  of  the  Bishop's  publications  is  furnished  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Wm.  H.  Brooks,  once  a  Presbyter  of  Maine;  his  connection 
with  the  enforcement  of  discipline  in  case  of  a  Bishop  is  told 
by  Rev.  Dr.  John  Cotton  Smith,  ordained  by  him  to  the 
Priesthood ;  his  labors  in  Hayti  are  recorded  by  an  eye- 
witness. Rev.  Theodore  Holly,  missionary  in  that  island ; 
his  activity  and  influence  in  the  councils  of  the  Bishops 
are  described  by  Bishop  Lee  of  Delaware;  a  pleasant  letter 
upon  one  of  his  visits  to  New  Brunswick  is  from  the  pen  of 
the  Lord  Bishop  of  Fredericton,  while  another  from  Bishop 
Kip  gathers  up  some  of  the  minor  traits  of  the  Bishop's 
character ;  the  estimate  of  his  Churchmanship  is  from  a 
friend   of   long    and    close   companionship.   Bishop    Coxe  of 


vm  PREFACE. 

Western  New  York,  who,  as  well  as  Bishop  Clark  of  Rhode 
Island,  in  a  sermon  commemorates  his  life  and  character. 

The  Editor  on  his  own  behalf,  and  yet  more  on  that  of 
Mrs.  Bishop  Burgess,  more  closely  than  himself  in  thought, 
labor,  and  heart  bound  to  this  Memoir,  expresses  thus  pub- 
licly deep  gratitude  to  those  above  named,  and  to  all  who 
have  aided  in  the  preparation  of  this  volume. 

It  is  now  sent  out  as  an  imperfect  memorial  of  a  life  which, 
though  in  the  main  uneventful,  and  remotely  connected  with 
the  striking  events  of  the  generation,  was  honorable  to  the 
Church,  a  blessing  to  souls,  a  bulwark  to  the  truth  as  in 
Jesus,  and  of  service  to  God. 

May  He  grant  to  many  who  read  it  to  be  "followers"  of 
such  "and  of  the  Lord!" 


CONTENTS 


I. 

II. 

Parentage  and  Childhood 

pa(;e 
17 
18 

III. 

College  Life 

•        23 

IV. 

Habits  of  Study 

27 

V. 

Early  Religious  History  .... 

31 

VI. 

Choice  of  a  Profession    .... 

32 

VII. 

European  Journal 

•       33 

VIII. 

Devotional  Habits  ..... 

.       48 

IX. 

Admission  to  Holy  Orders       .         .         .         . 

58 

X. 

Ordination  to  the  Priesthood  and  Institution 

66 

XI. 

Residence  at  Hartford     .... 

73 

XII. 

Marriage          ...... 

85 

XIII. 

Literary  Labors       ..... 

86 

XIV. 

Approach  to  the  Episcopate     .         .         ,         . 

89 

XV. 

Work  in  Hartford 

95 

XVI. 

Life  and  Labors  in  Hartford   .         .         .         . 

98 

XVII. 

Election  to  the  Episcopate        .         .         .         . 

lOI 

XVIII. 

Farewell  to  Hartford 

105 

XIX. 

Interest  in  Old  Friends  retained 

109 

XX. 

Gardiner  and  Maine         .         .         .         .         . 

116 

XXI. 

Bishop  Burgess  and  the  Memorial    . 

125 

XXII. 

Hymnody       ....... 

129 

XXIII. 

The  Bishop  in  Maine 

136 

CONTENTS. 


XXIV.     Diocesan  Seminaries    . 

XXV.  Bishop  Burgess  as  a  Parish  Priest 

XXVI.  Letters 

XXVII.  The  Board  of  Missions  of  the  Church  before 

any  Voluntary  Society  . 

XXVIII.  The  Relations  of  Bishop  Burgess  to  Youn 
Men  and  to  Candidates  for  Orders 

XXIX.  Letters  to  a  Candidate  for  Orders 

XXX.  The  Bishop  as  Pastor  of  Pastors    . 

XXXI.  Letters         ..... 

XXXII.  Historical  Tastes  and  Pursuits 

XXXIII.  In  the  House  of  Bishops 

XXXIV.  Growth  of  the  Church  in  Maine    . 
XXXV.  As  a  Preacher      .... 

XXXVI.  Appendix  to  Section  XXXV. 

XXXVII.  As  a  Teacher        .... 

XXXVIII.  Churchmanship   .... 

XXXIX.  Letters 

XL.  As  a  Miscellaneous  Writer    . 

XLI.  As  a  Poet 

XLII.  As  a  Patriot  .... 

XLIII.  List  of  Published  Books  or  Pamphlets 

XLIV.  Student  and  Honorary  Degrees     . 

XLV.  The  Presentment  of  Bishop  Doane  of  New 

Jersey 

XLVI.  Visit  to  Fredericton 

XLVII.  Cheerfulness 

XLVIII.  Gathered  Fragments 

XLIX.  The  Bishop's  Health 

L.  Last  Meeting  of  the  Board  of  Missions 

LI.  Departure  from  Home 

LII.  Voyage        ..... 


CONTEXTS. 


XI 


LIII.  At  Port-aU' Prince 

LIV.  Visitation  in  Hayti 

LV.  The  End 

LVI.  Tidings  of  the  Bishop's  Death 

LVII.  Sermon  of  the  Rev.  John  T.  Magrath 

LVIII.  Funeral  Services  and  Address 

LIX.  Monumental  Memorials 

LX.  Bishop  Coxe's  Commemorative  Sermon 


PAGE 

374 
379 
384 

391 

405 
407 


Memoir 


Bishop  Burgess. 


I. 


VERY  general  wish  has  been  expressed  that  so  exem- 
plary a  life  as  that  of  Bishop  Burgess  should  not  be 
suffered  to  pass  away  from  remembrance  ;  but  that  a 
complete  biography  might  be  given  to  the  church.  This,  how- 
ever, it  has  been  found  impossible  to  accomplish,  on  account 
of  the  difficulty  experienced  in  obtaining  the  necessary  material. 
His  own  letters  would  have  furnished  the  best  and  most  abund- 
ant material.  But  many  have  not  been  preserved  ;  many  of  the 
most  interesting  are  of  too  private  and  personal  a  nature  to  be 
given  to  the  public ;  and  in  some  instances  an  unaccountable 
unwillingness  has  been  shown  to  consent  to  the  publication  of 
letters,  which  are  only  on  general  and  public  topics. 

Under  these  circumstances,  all  that  can  be  done  is  to  offer  a 
series  of  outline  sketches,  prepared  by  various  hands,  and  repre- 
senting the  Bishop  in  various  positions,  instead  of  a  finished  por- 
trait by  a  master's  pencil. 

The  work  is  a  memorial  pile,  of  which  each  stone  is  prepared 
and  offered  by  a  different  friend,  only  the  cement  needed  to 
unite  the  whole  being  otherwise  supplied;  and  if  it  lacks  the 
unity  and  the  finish  of  the  polished  shaft,  cut  from  a  single  block 
of  marble,  designed  and  executed  by  a  practised  sculptor,  it  may 
still  prove  that  the  varied  inscriptions,  each  recording  a  talent 

2 


1 8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

given  or  a  virtue  practised,  will  as  faithfully  portray  the  departed 
Bishop,  as  the  most  comprehensive  record  that  could  be  engraved 
on  an  elaborate  monument. 


II. 

PARENTAGE  AND  CHILDHOOD. 

All  the  information  needed  respecting  the  ancestry  of  Bishop 
Burgess  is  recorded  in  the  genealogy  of  the  Burgess  family, 
lately  published  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ebenezer  Burgess,  of  Dedham, 
Massachusetts. 

It  appears  that  Thomas  Burgess  arrived  in  Salem,  Massachu- 
setts, with  a  young  family,  not  far  from  1630,  and  lodged  for  a 
time  at  Lynn.  A  section  of  land  was  assigned  to  him,  which  he 
forfeited  by  his  removal  to  Sandwich  in  the  same  year.  In  the 
settlement  of  Sandwich,  he  was  associated  with  others,  being  "a 
chief  man  among  them."  In  the  church,  instituted  in  1638,  he 
was  an  original  member.  In  process  of  time  he  became  a  large 
landholder,  and  with  advancing  age  he  was  called  Goodman 
Burgess.  He  served  the  town  in  every  office,  humble  or  honora- 
ble, from  road  surveyor  to  the  Court  at  Plymouth,  for  several 
successive  years. 

He  lived  on  the  estate  forty-eight  years,  and  died  February  13, 
1685,  aged  eighty-two  years.  His  grave  was  honored  with  a 
monumental  slab  imported  from  England.  This  was  the  only 
monument  set  up  for  any  pilgrim  of  the  first  generation. 

His  third  son  Jacob  had  a  son  Ebenezer,  who  removed  to  that 
part  of  Plymouth  called  Wareham.  His  third  son,  also  Ebene- 
zer, had  three  sons,  the  youngest  of  whom.  Prince,  was  the  grand- 
father of  the  Bishop.  Of  him  the  genealogy  says:  "In  perse- 
vering industry  and  religious  trust  he  served  God  and  his  genera- 
tion to  the  good  age  of  84  years.  In  the  Revolutionary  War  he 
joined  the  armies  of  his  country  for  a  short  campaign,  and  he 
bore  the  title  of  Lieutenant  to  the  end  of  life." 

"As  was  common  in  the  patriarchal  families  of  New  England, 
all  the  members  of  his  household  were  called  together  morning 
and  evening  for  the  worship  of  God.  The  Bible  was  read, 
prayer  offered,  and  blessings  implored.  When  the  table  was 
spread  thrice  in  the  day,  a  petition  was  offered  and  thanks  re- 
turned. Too  much  praise  cannot  well  be  ascribed  to  the  mater- 
nal head  of  the  family,  who  survived  her  husband  several  years. 


PARENTAGE  AND  CIIJLDJIOOD.  1 9 

Her  husband  praised  her,  and  her  children  arose  up  and  called 
her  blessed." 

Thomas  Burgess,  the  second  son  of  Prince,  graduated  at  Brown 
University  in  the  year  1800,  settled  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island, 
and,  in  1803,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Andrew  Mackie,  M.  D., 
of  Scotch  descent,  residing  in  Wareham,  Massachusetts. 

"Judge  Burgess,  distinguished  through  life  by  scrupulous 
integrity,  by  habits  of  great  industry,  and  by  the  conscientious 
discharge  of  every  trust,  as  well  as  by  eminent  sagacity  and  pru- 
dence, merited  and  acquired  the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens, 
in  a  measure  that  is  accorded  only  to  the  most  blameless.  His 
counsel  was  sought  with  a  peculiar  reliance  on  its  value ;  and  the 
weightiest  affairs  and  most  delicate  duties  were  intrusted  to  him 
without  apprehension.  As  Judge  of  the  Municipal  Court  of 
Providence,  an  office  which  he  held  from  the  organization  of  the 
city  government  till  within  a  few  years  of  his  death,  he  presided 
over  the  distribution  of  the  estates  of  that  large  and  wealthy  com- 
munity with  more  than  satisfaction  to  those  whose  interests  de- 
manded an  exact  and  watchful  guardian.  He  was  also  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Common  Pleas  for  a  number  of  years,  and  that 
office  was  never  in  wiser  or  purer  hands.  His  professional  prac- 
tice, with  his  other  undertakings,  secured  to  him,  under  the 
blessing  of  God,  a  prosperous  position  ;  and  he  was  able  and 
ready  to  lend  cheerful  and  considerate  assistance  to  those  who 
needed  his  kindness,  and  to  bear  his  part  in  works  of  public 
beneficence.  The  honorable  profession  of  the  law  has  seldom 
furnished  a  worthier  example  of  the  Christian  duties,  than  his 
character  displayed  from  youth  to  age ;  uprightness,  fidelity,  dis- 
cretion, diligence,  and  the  fear  of  God.  At  an  early  period. 
Judge  Burgess  and  his  wife  were  united  with  the  Church  of 
Christ,  and  maintained  an  exemplary  deportment  to  the  end  of 
life." 

For  the  last  twelve  years  or  more  of  his  life,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  Diocese  of  Rhode  Island. 

His  eldest  son,  Thomas  Mackie  Burgess,  a  graduate  of  Brown 
University,  was  for  ten  successive  years  Mayor  of  the  City  of 
Providence. 

The  second  son,  George,  the  subject  of  the  memoir,  was  born 
October  31st,  1809,  at  Providence. 

His  childhood  was  so  uneventful,  that  little  worthy  of  record 
is  remembered. 

Through  all  of  it,  he  was  a  diligent  reader.  Undisturbed  by 
the  conversation  of  the  family,  he  could  sit  engrossed  in  reading 


20  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

or  study.  History  and  poetry  were  particularly  attractive  to  him. 
Shakspeare  was  an  especial  favorite. 

A  most  marked  trait  was  perseverance.  He  could  not  have 
been  more  than  seven  years  old,  when  he  commenced  reading 
aloud  Benedict's  History  of  the  Baptists,  a  large  book  of  over 
nine  hundred  pages,  containing  very  little  of  interest  to  a  child. 
Day  after  day  he  seated  himself  on  a  low  bench,  with  the  pon- 
derous volume  on  a  chair  before  him,  and,  whether  the  family 
listened  or  not,  went  on  with  his  reading,  till  the  book  was 
finished. 

The  following,  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  Francis  Vinton,  D.  D., 
a  companion  of  his  childhood  and  youth,  well  illustrates  his 
character  previous  to  his  college  days. 

"Among  the  reminiscences  of  the  youth  of  George  Burgess, 
one  or  two  characteristics  stand  out  in  the  fore  front  of  memory. 

"His  love  of  peace  and  good-will  among  his  schoolmates  was 
evinced  in  many  cases  wherein  he  acted  as  mediator.  And  yet 
he  appeared  as  a  belligerent,  on  a  certain  occasion,  to  the  amaze- 
ment of  his  companions. 

"We  attended  the  same  school  in  Providence.  A  big  bully 
of  a  fellow,  who  shall  be  nameless,  was  the  dread  of  all  the  little 
boys,  who  bore  his  persecutions  with  becoming  patience,  because 
they  could  not  help  themselves.  Like  the  boy  in  saying  his 
catechism,  who  confessed  that  he  ought  to  forgive  his  adversary 
who  should  strike  him,  provided  'he  was  the  bigger  boy,'  so  we 
exercised  the  same  questionable  charity  towards  our  big  foe. 

"But  one  day  the  mean  fellow  exercised  his  cruel  propensities 
toAvards  a  pretty  girl  Avhom  we  all  respected.  The  pain  and 
mortification  which  she  could  not  help  expressing,  created  a  sym- 
pathetic sensation  among  us  all,  except  the  bully,  who  laughed 
at  her  misfortune.  He  was  at  once  detected  as  the  base  and 
guilty  one.  No  boy  doubted  it.  All  of  us  looked  daggers  at 
him.  This  might  have  been  the  extent  of  our  indignation  ;  but 
when  we  were  let  out  for  recreation,  George  Burgess,  the  pacific 
boy,  went  up  to  him  and  levelled  a  blow  at  his  face,  announcing 
'take  that,  you  scoundrel,  for  putting  that  pin  on  M.'s  seat.' 

"  The  contest  was  not  long.  George  was  overpowered.  We 
returned  to  our  duties  in  school.  George,  somewhat  the  worse 
for  the  encounter,  was,  nevertheless,  admired  as  the  champion  of 
innocent  beauty  both  by  girls  and  boys. 

"When  the  school  was  dismissed,  George  attacked  the  tyrant 
again,  and  with  the  help  of  the  other  small  boys  he  gave  the 


BOYHOOD.  21 

fellow  a  drubbing.  The  teacher  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and 
dismissed  the  bully. 

"Another  reminiscence.  When  my  elder  brother  returned 
from  West  Point,  on  a  short  leave  of  absence  in  winter,  he  ob- 
served us  one  morning  rolling  large  balls  of  snow  in  my  grand- 
father's garden.  He  suggested  a  snow  fort.  We  built  it  in  the 
angle  of  the  fence,  and  felt  very  proud  of  our  achievement.  My 
brother  then  proposed  that  we  should  defend  the  fort  against  his 
attack.  So,  when  we  had  provided  an  arsenal  of  snow-balls,  and 
he  had  accumulated  a  large  pile,  we  challenged  him  to  come  on. 
We  threw  our  snow-balls  at  him,  which  he  easily  dodged.  And 
when  our  ammunition  was  nearly  exhausted,  he  gathered  up  his 
pile  into  his  arms,  and  made  the  attack  with  a  stride  and  a  whoop. 
There  were  four  of  us.  We  received  the  fire  pretty  well  for  two 
or  three  minutes,  when  three  of  us  leaped  over  the  fence,  leaving 
George  Burgess  alone  to  bear  the  brunt  of  the  assault. 

"I  recall  him  at  that  moment.  I  see  his  bent  figure,  crouch- 
ing behind  the  parapet,  and  ever  and  anon  looking  over  to  fire 
at  his  antagonist,  until  all  his  snow-balls  were  gone.  Then  my 
brother  advanced  close  to  the  snow  wall,  which  he  overtopped, 
and  pelted  George  with  his  whole  armory. 

"George  never  flinched,  but  received  the  entire  battery  on  his 
person.  His  clothes  were  dotted  with  marks  of  the  snow-balls. 
My  brother  proclaimed  him  the  victor  and  the  brave  defender  of 
the  fort ;  while  he  reproached  us  with  well-deserved  epithets. 

"I  repossess  my  shame.  I  recollect  my  admiration  of  George 
Burgess  as  he  stood  up  with  flushed  face,  bearing  on  his  body 
the  marks  of  his  bravery. 

"The  first  anecdote  illustrates  the  chivalric  courage;  this  anec- 
dote exemplifies  the  conscientious  fortitude  of  George  Burgess. 
'The  child  is  father  of  the  man.' 

"Our  homes  were  on  opposite  sides  of  the  same  street.  We 
met  at  each  other's  house  in  a  Reading  Society,  projected  by 
our  mutual  friend,  the  late  Rev.  James  C.  Richmond,  who 
was  always  foremost,  as  a  boy,  in  plans  of  self-improvement. 

"At  twelve  years  of  age,  George  Burgess  astonished  us  with 
an  original  ballad  in  rhyme,  which  he  spoke  at  a  school  exhibi- 
tion in  which  we  both  took  part." 

The  Rev.  Alexander  H.  Vinton,  D.  D.,  who  was  the  intimate 
friend  of  the  Bishop,  in  his  school  days  as  well  as  in  later  years, 
writes  thus  in  a  letter  to  Rev.  Dr.  Burgess,  of  Brooklyn. 

"Of  his  early  life  I  remember  no  particular  or  striking  inci- 
dents, but  his  characteristics  were  the  same  as  marked  him  after- 
wards. 


22  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

"  He  was  eminently  studious,  almost  always  at  the  head  of  his 
class  at  school,  never  coming  under  the  censure  of  his  teachers, 
and  universally  esteemed  and  loved  by  the  scholars.  He  never 
quarrelled,  though  I  remember  to  have  seen  him  once  roused  to 
a  pitch  of  anger  that  was  almost  terrible ;  but  the  provocation, 
though  a  personal  one,  bore  so  much  of  injustice,  that  his  indigna- 
tion seemed  to  be  moral  more  than  personal ;  the  same  in  quality 
as  you  have  seen  in  his  later  days  when  his  moral  convictions 
were  outraged. 

"He  was  a  great  reader,  and  specially  fond  of  history.  I  re- 
member that  he  read  through  Mavor's  Universal  History  when  we 
lived  opposite  your  house  and  he  was  about  nine  years  old. 

"  He  likewise  at  that  time  wrote  verses,  among  them  a  History 
of  the  Revolution,  in  which  the  rhymes  and  the  rhythm  were  both 
very  true. 

"His  conscientiousness  was  always  a  paramount  trait,  and  he 
was  considered  by  the  families,  old  and  young,  of  our  mutual 
acquaintance,  a  model  boy. 

' '  He  used  to  enter  into  our  common  sports  with  as  much  zeal 
as  any  of  us,  excursions  into  the  fields,  acting  plays,  &c.,  and  was 
therefore  never  regarded  as  feeble  or  girlish." 

The  persistency,  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  constantly 
showed  itself  in  mature  years,  but  was  held  in  control  by  a  hu- 
mility, which  remembering,  that  right  might  be  with  the  oppo- 
nent, was  willing  to  be  convinced  and  glad  to  yield  to  the  better 
course. 

To  the  early  life  of  Bishop  Burgess  may  be  applied  words, 
which  he  has  written  with  reference  to  another  childhood.  "  In 
almost  all  biographies,  this  portion  of  life  is  rapidly  glided  over. 
The  reason  is  in  the  nature  of  things ;  during  seed  time,  the  seed 
lies  covered." 

He  attended  a  day  school  until  the  summer  of  1821,  when,  at 
the  age  of  not  quite  twelve  years,  he  was  found  prepared  for  col- 
lege, but  his  father  was  unwilling  that  he  should  enter  so  early. 
He  was  taken  from  school  and  allowed  to  spend  a  year  in  the 
study  of  French  and  in  miscellaneous  reading. 


COLLEGE  LIFE.  23 

III. 

COLLEGE  LIFE. 

In  September,  1822,  George  Burgess  entered  Brown  Univer- 
sity. Though  the  youngest  member  of  his  class,  being  not  quite 
thirteen  years  old,  he  at  once  took  a  high  stand,  and  maintained 
it  to  the  end,  graduating,  in  1826,  with  the  highest  honors. 

His  extreme  conscientiousness  in  the  discharge  of  duty  is 
shown  by  the  fact,  that  during  the  four  years  of  his  collegiate 
course,  though  at  some  distance  from  the  college  building,  he 
was  never  absent  from  prayers,  which  at  that  time  were  at  sun- 
rise, a  recitation  following  before  breakfast ;  nor  from  a  single 
recitation,  nor  was  he  ever  marked  deficient.  He  was  present  at 
service  on  Sunday,  except  on  one  occasion,  when,  having  fainted 
in  church  in  the  morning,  he  was  obliged  to  remain  at  home  in 
the  afternoon. 

The  letter  following,  a  memorial  of  his  college  life,  is  from  the 
pen  of  one  of  his  classmates,  Hon.  John  Kingsbury,  LL.D.,  of 
Providence,  addressed  to  Mrs.  Bishop  Burgess. 

Providence,  December,  1867. 

"My  dear  Madam :  In  the  autumn  of  1822  I  became  a  member 
of  the  Freshman  Class  in  Brown  University.  On  the  first  day  of 
the  term,  among  those  at  morning  prayers,  there  was  one  so 
youthful  as  to  attract  my  particular  attention.  It  did  not  seem 
possible  that  he  could  be  a  member  of  college ;  or  if  that  were 
true,  that  he  could  be  prepared  for  its  duties.  Soon,  however, 
he  was  near  me  in  the  classroom,  and  by  a  brilliant  recitation 
dispelled  all  doubts  from  my  mind  in  regard  to  his  fitness  for  the 
position.  Fair  in  complexion,  tall  and  slender,  not  quite  thirteen 
years  old,  yet  withal  he  was  so  modest  and  winning  in  manner, 
that  I  sought  his  immediate  acquaintance. 

This  was  my  first  meeting  with  your  late  husband  Bishop  Bur- 
gess, an  acquaintance  which  ripened  into  friendship,  and  was 
destined  to  be  most  intimate  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

I  will,  therefore,  as  you  desire  it,  endeavor  to  give  you  the 
impression  which  his  life  in  college  made  upon  my  mind,  and 
trust  that  its  truthfulness  will  be  readily  acknowledged  by  other 
members  of  the  class. 


24  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

A  marked  feature  in  the  character' of  young  Burgess  was  the 
contrast  between  him  and  boys  generally  who  are  educated  in  a 
city.  He  seemed  to  have  secured  all  the  good  which  the  supe- 
rior facilities  of  a  city  afford  for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge, 
while  he  had  escaped  all  the  evils  which  a  city  so  abundantly 
places  in  the  pathway  of  youth. 

The  acquisition  of  so  much  knowledge  without  any  display  of 
pride  or  self-conceit  made  him  a  great  favorite  of  his  classmates, 
and  also  of  his  instructors.  Nor  was  this  popularity  confined  to 
mature  and  thoughtful  students,  for  so  great  was  his  modesty  and 
amiability  that  even  the  most  unscrupulous  seemed  to  feel  that 
his  character  was  too  sacred  for  censure. 

If  his  conscientiousness  exposed  him  to  this,  the  sweetness  of 
his  temper  and  his  uniform  courtesy  disarmed  their  opposition, 
and  even  made  them  his  friends.  Probably  there  was  no  other 
member  of  the  class  who  so  faithfully  fulfilled  all  of  his  college 
duties,  and  yet  was  so  little  obnoxious  to  those  who  were  subject 
to  blame  for  the  neglect  of  duty. 

Another  characteristic  was  fixedness  of  purpose.  With  a  social 
disposition,  a  mind  peculiarly  susceptible  to  refinement  and  art, 
he  was  not  to  be  led  astray  by  these  from  the  one  special  object 
then  before  him ;  namely,  to  secure  by  all  suitable  means  a 
thorough  classical  education.  Much  less  did  the  ordinary  trifles 
of  social  life,  by  which  many  a  student  is  turned  aside  from  high 
aspirations,  lead  him  astray.  No  one,  however  mature,  could 
have  more  sternly  pursued  the  course  which  he  had  prescribed 
for  himself.  His  habits,  both  of  body  and  of  mind,  were  of  the 
most  fixed  character.  So  exact  and  prompt  was  he  in  his  attend- 
ance at  college  at  a  given  hour,  that  some  of  his  class  made  his 
arrival  at  recitations  and  prayers  their  timepiece.  He  was  never 
tardy  or  absent  from  prayers  or  recitations  during  the  four  years 
of  college  life,  nor  is  it  known  to  me  that  he  was  ever  excused 
from  the  performance  of  a  prescribed  duty.  The  result  was  what 
might  have  been  expected :  such  a  careful  preparation  of  his 
exercises  and  lessons  as  gave  him  unvarying  success. 

With  the  exception  of  the  severer  of  his  mathematical  studies, 
they  were  of  the  highest  order ;  and  any  imperfection  in  these 
arose  from  his  extreme  youth  rather  than  want  of  ability  or  of 
thorough  preparation.  His  fluency  in  language  and  great  beauty 
of  expression  made  his  recitations  very  attractive.  The  style  in 
which  he  rendered  the  Greek  and  Latin  poets  I  shall  never  forget. 
It  was  like  the  sweet  strains  of  distant  music,  where  there  is 
nothing  that  jars  upon  the  ear. 

Nor  was  his  time  entirely  absorbed  by  his  college  studies.  He 
spent  much  of  it  in  general  reading  ;  and  it  was  a  source  of  won- 
der to  his  classmates,  that  while  his  reading  was  so  various  and 


COLLEGE  LIFE.  25 

so  extensive,  it  was  selected  so  judiciously.  And  this  wonder 
was  increased  on  learning  that  he  was  chiefly  guided  in  the  selec- 
tion by  his  own  judgment. 

Though  fond  of  History  and  Biography,  he  was  particularly 
acquainted  with  English  Literature.  In  this  he  was  greatly  in 
advance  of  the  majority,  if  not  of  the  entire  class. 

His  system  of  reading  was  very  philosophical.  Though  not 
original  with  him,  it  was  a  matter  of  surprise  that  one  of  his  age 
should  not  only  have  adopted  it,  but  so  successfully  carried  it 
into  execution.  Reading  was  his  recreation.  When  he  M^as 
weary  with  study,  then  he  began  to  read.  If  he  needed  respite 
from  Euclid  or  Homer,  he  resorted  to  history  or  biography.  If 
this  required  too  much  effort  of  mind,  he  had  recourse  to  poetry 
or  light  literature.  Thus  every  hour  was  given  to  the  acquisition 
of  knowledge. 

It  could  be  said  most  truly  of  him,  that  the  boy  was  the  father 
of  the  man.  So  regular  and  fixed  were  his  habits,  both  of  body 
and  of  mind  even  in  college,  that  when  he  became  a  man  he  had 
nothing  in  these  respects  to  change.  There  was  all  the  exactness, 
the  discipline,  and  the  self-control  that  were  needed  in  after  life. 

Yet  he  was  not  a  recluse.  Far  from  it.  He  was  eminently 
social  in  his  disposition,  and  cultivated  intimate  relations  with 
many  of  his  classmates.  Yet  he  did  not  allow  these  relations  to 
turn  him  aside  from  any  prescribed  duty.  Nor  did  the  fascina- 
tions of  society  prove  to  be  any  more  effectual  in  causing  him  to 
swerve  from  the  true  duties  of  a  student.  He  thought  it  was  un- 
worthy of  a  scholar  to  yield  himself  to  the  blandishments  of 
society,  and  by  so  doing  to  impair  his  literary  standing;  and 
many  a  time  was  he  known  to  express  his  surprise,  that  young 
men  so  often  seem  to  forget  the  true  object  of  college  life. 

It  was  in  college  that  he  acquired  a  fixed  style  of  composition. 
It  is  not  often  that  any  one  there  attains  a  style  which  is  worthy 
to  remain  unchanged.  When  his  age  is  taken  into  the  account, 
it  is  more  remarkable  that  he  made  the  acquisition. 

He  was  the  poet  of  the  class,  and  at  the  close  of  the  first  term 
he  delivered  a  poem  by  appointment,  which  was  received  with 
much  applause.  Even  at  this  period  he  was  noted  for  that  pecu- 
liarity for  which  he  was  conspicuous  in  maturer  years — the  union 
of  the  fanciful  and  the  practical ;  strong  powers  of  the  imagina- 
tion, and  a  large  share  of  common  sense.  Owing  to  this  union 
of  opposite  qualities,  he  was  not  to  be  diverted  from  the  dis- 
charge of  the  humblest  and  most  trifling  duty  by  a  desire  to 
gratify  his  taste.  There  was  not  in  him  any  of  that  nervous  ex- 
citement, that  feverish  sensitiveness  so  common  to  poetic  minds, 
and  on  account  of  which  they  would  fain  be  excused  from  the 
discharge  of  severe  duties,  or  for  their  numerous  eccentricities. 


2  6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

He  was  never  tempted  to  neglect  his  college  studies  under  the 
impression  that  he  was  a  genius.  He  believed  that  labor,  hard 
study,  was  necessary  to  success.  The  result  of  this  course  was 
such  a  discipline  of  both  mental  and  physical  powers  as  enabled 
him  to  execute  with  ease  whatever  he  attempted.  He  never 
waited  for  the  inspiration  of  genius;  for  such  as  he  had  was 
always  upon  him,  and  he  could  thtis  always  accomplish,  at  the 
appointed  time,  whatever  he  attempted. 

His  moral  character  while  in  college  was  not  less  complete  or 
attractive  than  his  mental.  While  he  loved  his  classmates,  and 
united  most  heartily  with  them  in  all  that  he  regarded  as  right 
and  true,  there  the  attraction  ended.  He  could  not  be  tempted 
to  engage  in  anything  which  tended  to  thwart  or  contravene  col- 
lege authority.  Yet  his  refusal  to  do  wrong  was  tempered  with 
so  much  true  politeness,  that  each  refusal  secured  for  himself  an 
additional  degree  of  respect.  He  was  exact  and  pains-taking  in 
the  fulfilment  of  all  relative  duties,  whether  towards  his  inferiors, 
his  equals,  or  his  superiors. 

Yet  a  casual  observer  might  have  found  it  difficult  to  decide 
whether  amiability  or  moral  principle  was  the  motive  power.  To 
his  intimate  friends,  however,  it  was  evident  that  he  had  to  strug- 
gle against  evil  tendencies  as  well  as  others ;  and  that  his  perfect 
self-control  was  the  result  of  persevering  moral  aspiration.  Care- 
ful always  to  speak  the  truth  himself,  nothing  seemed  to  shock 
him  more,  or  cause  his  face  to  be  flushed  with  surprise,  than 
those  untruths  which  many  students  seem  to  think  they  can  utter 
or  at  least  act,  without  being  guilty  of  falsehood. 

No  impulse  of  ambition,  no  desire  to  be  popular,  and  no  ex- 
traordinary excitement  ever  caused  him  to  swerve  from  the  true 
line  of  duty. 

So  he  lived  daily.  If  a  moral  and  amiable  life  were  enough 
in  this  world  for  a  young  man,  surely  there  was  reason  that  he 
should  have  been  flattered  into  such  a  belief;  and  to  have  drawn 
the  conclusion  that  a  moral  life  alone  would  be  acceptable  to 
God.  But  he  did  not  fall  into  this  self-pleasing  snare.  Before 
he  left  college  he  was  awakened  to  the  inquiry,  What  must  a 
man  do  to  be  saved?  And  he  was  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  feel 
that  the  Gospel  required  an  inner  life,  without  which  the  bright- 
est traits  of  moral  character,  as  a  means  of  salvation,  utterly  fail. 
It  was  under  the  influence  of  such  an  experience  that  soon  after 
he  graduated,  he  left  the  parish  church  where  he  had  attended 
from  his  infancy,  because  he  wanted  a  Christianity  in  which  an 
atoning  Saviour  was  more  prominent,  and  became  a  communi- 
cant of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  in  this  city. 

He  left  college  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class,  though 
not  quite  seventeen  years  of  age,  with  a  discipline  more  perfect 


HABITS  OF  STUDY.  27 

than  a  majority  of  his  classmates,  and  a  wider  acquaintance  with 
English  literature  than  any  of  them.  If  some  of  them  were  supe- 
rior in  mathematical  or  metaphysical  studies,  there  was  no  one 
who  presented  a  more  fully  developed  character  in  all  that  con- 
stitutes true  scholarship  and  manly  virtues." 


IV. 

HABITS  OF  STUDY. 

The  Bishop's  habits  as  a  student  were  so  similar  in  mature  life 
to  those  of  his  boyhood,  that  all  may  be  included  in  a  few  pages, 
in  connection  with  his  college  life. 

In  a  letter  written  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  during  a  college  vaca- 
tion, to  a  classmate,  he  described  himself  as  "seated  in  an  elbow- 
chair,  in  all  the  dignity  of  unconquerable  laziness."  His  laziness 
was  evidently  limited  to  late  rising,  for  he  writes:  "I  spend  the 
day  in  reading  and  the  evening  in  making  memoranda  of  what  I 
have  read.  Sometimes,  in  a  warm  day,  I  ramble  five  or  six 
miles  out  into  the  country,  or  skate  awhile  on  the  cove.  Not- 
withstanding all  this,  and  though  I  am  not  lonely,  and  I  believe 
I  never  shall  be ;  though  I  have  time  and  liberty  to  go  wherever 
I  will ;  though  I  have  the  keys  of  the  Philermenian  Library  and 
four  others  at  my  command,  still  you  must  know,  and  I  do  know 
by  experience,  that  a  state  of  rest  cannot  please  long.  You  may 
or  may  not  wonder  how  I  spend  so  much  time  in  reading ;  the 
secret,  however  simple  it  may  appear,  I  have  just  discovered  ;  it 
is  that  you  may  read  days  and  even  weeks  without  being  fatigued, 
only  read  several  books  at  the  same  time." 

Though  he  speaks  of  this  as  a  secret  just  discovered,  his  family 
remember  him,  as  a  child,  lying  on  the  floor,  surrotmded  by 
books  from  which  he  read  by  turns,  by  the  light  of  a  wood  fire. 

He  always  had  a  number  of  books  and  papers  around  him, 
resting  his  mind  by  variety ;  writing  perhaps  a  paragraph  of  a 
sermon,  and  then  reading  a  page  of  history  or  a  few  lines  of 
poetry,  or  an  item  in  a  newspaper.  He  was  never  idle,  but  books 
and  papers  were  before  him,  even  while  making  some  slight 
change  in  his  dress.     He  never  seemed  to  realize  how  steadily 


28  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

he  worked.  He  has  been  heard  to  say  that  he  did  not  believe 
in  the  long  vacations  taken  by  clergymen ;  that  it  was  better  to 
do  as  he  did — take  his  rest  and  recreation  as  he  went  along. 

He  was  aided  in  accomplishing  so  much  by  cultivating  great 
quietness  of  mind  and  manner,  and  never  allowing  himself  to  be 
hurried  or  excited.  If  interrupted  by  callers  or  guests  when  he 
was  most  occupied  and  could  not  really  spare  the  time,  he  was 
still  as  cordial  and  hospitable  as  ever,  never  allowing  them  to 
suspect  that  they  were  a  hindrance,  never  allowing  himself  to 
think  so.  When  they  were  gone  he  never  complained  of  the 
visit;  but  simply  saying,  "Now,  I  must  make  up  for  lost  time," 
he  would  seize  his  pen  and  write  steadily  perhaps  till  midnight, 
and  then  with  some  exultation  announce  that  he  had  accomplished 
his  task.  After  writing  in  this  way,  under  pressure,  he  would 
not  go  to  bed  with  his  brain  excited  lest  he  should  not  sleep,  but 
would  always  read  something  to  calm  his  mind,  a  few  pages  of 
poetry,  or  of  Dickens,  or  of  Burke's  Peerage,  a  subject  in  which 
he  delighted.  A  few  years  ago  he  commenced  reading  Worces- 
ter's Dictionary.  This  large  book  lay  always  on  a  side  desk, 
and  often  in  the  course  of  the  day  he  would  go  to  it  and  study 
the  next  word.  He  sometimes  laughed  a  little  at  his  choice  of 
reading  matter,  but  said  that  he  was  enriching  his  vocabulary. 
He  always  read  while  travelling,  and  if  his  walks  were  in  the  less 
frequented  streets  or  roads,  a  newspaper  or  book  was  drawn  from 
his  pocket  to  beguile  the  way. 

He  read  newspapers  more  thoroughly  than  most  men,  and  said 
of  religious  papers,  that  the  more  carefully  he  read  them,  the 
more  valuable  he  considered  them.  In  reading  the  daily  secular 
papers,  he  had  his  own  peculiar  plan.  When  the  paper  first 
arrived,  he  glanced  rapidly  through  it,  his  eye  easily  catching 
the  news  of  the  day.  It  was  then  laid  aside  until  his  long, 
lonely  walks  or  rides  gave  him  time  to  go  over  it  carefully,  when 
he  read  every  part,  taking  especial  interest  in  the  articles  on 
science,  art,  or  literature.  He  often  cut  out  such  pieces  as  he 
thought  worth  preserving,  and  with  them  he  filled  a  number  of 
large  scrap-books. 

His  mind  was  overflowing  with  subjects  for  valuable  books, 
which  might  have  been  written,  if  his  life  had  been  prolonged  or 


READING.  29 

less  crowded  with  other  cares  and  occupations.  He  has  left  a 
large  mass  of  papers,  showing  the  beginnings  of  such  undertak- 
ings. The  backs  of  many  old  letters  are  found  covered  with 
pencil  marks,  in  some  cases  so  much  rubbed  as  to  be  almost 
illegible.  Some  of  these  pencillings  are  evidently  extracts  from 
his  reading,  made  probably  while  travelling  and  out  of  reach  of 
his  note-book;  some  are  lines  of  poetry  which  impressed  him, 
and  others  are  evidently  original  thoughts  jotted  down  for  future 
use. 

He  was  very  fond  of  statistics,  of  making  lists  and  catalogues, 
and  could  rehearse  long  lines  of  the  sovereigns  of  various  coun- 
tries. If  he  had  unoccupied  time  when  he  could  not  read,  such 
as  a  wakeful  hour  at  night,  he  would  amuse  himself  by  trying 
how  many  poets  or  prose  writers  of  note  he  could  name,  or  in 
some  similar  way.  He  took  the  trouble  to  study  the  reports  of 
all  the  religious  denominations  in  Maine  and  prepared  a  long 
paper,  stating  the  number  of  places  of  worship,  and  of  communi- 
cants, and  marking  particularly  the  universal  neglect,  almost  dis- 
use of  infant  baptism,  shown  by  the  small  number  of  such  bap- 
tisms reported  in  each  county.  He  also  made  a  list  of  names  of 
persons  in  different  generations,  who  might  have  seen  each 
other,  forming  a  complete  chain  from  Adam  to  himself.  Such 
were  his  amusement  and  relaxation. 

In  buying  books,  he  preferred  double  columns  and  narrow 
margins,  saying  that  he  liked  to  find  a  great  deal  of  reading  on  a 
page.  But  he  had  no  ambition  to  collect  a  large  library.  As 
long  as  he  lived  where  there  were  public  libraries  always  open  to 
him,  he  was  content  to  own  but  few  books  beyond  the  standard 
authors  to  which  he  wished  often  to  refer.  The  substance  of  many 
books  seemed  to  be  held  so  completely  in  his  memory  after  once 
reading,  that  it  mattered  little  whether  the  volume  had  been  bor- 
rowed or  could  remain  on  his  shelves.  A  few  years  ago,  he 
purchased  the  whole  set  of  Anderson's  British  Poets,  and  reading, 
as  his  habit  was,  a  short  passage  at  intervals,  had  reached  the 
fifth  volume. 

To  realize  what  an  indefatigable  student  he  was,  one  needs  to 
see  the  immense  mass  of  manuscript  left  behind,  and  to  examine 
the  large  common-place  books,  filled  with  data  furnishing  mate- 


30  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

rials  for  books,  some  of  which  have  been  already  written. 
Though  he  went  to  his  second  parish  with  a  large  stock  of  ser- 
mons, upwards  of  thirteen  hundred,  which  he  might  have  used, 
he  continued  to  write  two  every  week,  except  when  prevented  by 
his  Episcopal  duties,  and  had  always  a  number  which  had  never 
been  preached. 

An  instance  of  his  industry  and  perseverance  may  be  given. 
A  few  years  ago,  it  occurred  to  him  that  the  earlier  records  of 
Ordinations  in  this  country  were  very  imperfect;  that  it  was  even 
then,  in  many  cases,  difficult  to  ascertain  by  whom  a  clergyman 
had  been  ordained,  or  at  what  time,  and  that  every  year  which 
passed  must  increase  the  difficulty.  He  therefore  undertook  to 
ascertain,  as  far  as  possible,  the  date  of  every  Ordination  that  had 
taken  place  in  this  country  and  the  name  of  the  ordaining  Bishop. 
He  found  his  self-imposed  task  by  no  means  an  easy  one,  and 
in  a  letter  written  at  the  time,  he  says,  "Some  things  are  dis- 
couraging as  to  the  early,  not  the  earliest,  ordinations ;  but  many 
of  them,  if  not  all,  can  still  be  accurately  recorded,  with  some 
pains.  The  difficulties  show  how  important  it  is  that  such  a  list, 
if  it  is  ever  to  be  complete,  should  now  be  arranged." 

In  order  to  collect  this  information,  an  immense  number  of 
letters  was  necessarily  written,  and  when  all  the  answers  were 
received,  the  record  was  still  to  be  made.  He  procured  a  large 
blank  book,  and  to  make  the  record  permanently  legible,  printed 
it  all  with  his  own  hand,  intending  to  present  the  fruit  of  his 
labors  to  the  General  Convention  that  it  might  be  continued  from 
year  to  year,  and  become  a  source  of  reference  when  such  infor- 
mation was  needed.  While  this  work  was  in  progress,  other 
names,  from  time  to  time,  came  to  his  knowledge,  which  he  was 
obliged  to  interline.  When  all  was  finished,  he  was  not  satisfied 
with  its  appearance,  marred,  as  he  thought,  by  interlineations, 
and  he  resolved  to  rewrite  the  whole.  He  might  have  employed 
a  secretary  to  copy  it,  but  he  preferred  to  make  it  throughout  the 
work  of  his  own  hand.  Another  book  was  procured,  and  he  set 
himself  patiently  to  the  labor  of  copying.  It  was  no  light  task, 
and  the  day  preceding  the  meeting  of  the  General  Convention 
of  1862  found  it  unfinished.  He  would  not  give  up  his  determi- 
nation to  complete  it  before  reaching  the  Convention.     He  took 


EARL  y  RELIC,  10 US  IIISTOR  Y.  3 1 

the  two  books,  pens  and  a  pocket  inkstand  with  him  in  the  cars. 
The  books  lay  open  on  his  knees,  his  pen  was  in  his  hand,  the 
inkstand  was  held  by  his  travelling  companion.  The  moment 
the  cars  stopped,  his  j^en  was  dipped  in  the  ink,  and  at  each  sta- 
tion he  succeeded  in  copying  one,  two,  or  three  names.  He  was 
amused  to  think  what  the  other  inmates  of  the  car  thought  of 
him;  but  he  was  rewarded  for  his  perseverance.  Before  he 
arrived  at  New  York,  the  last  name  had  been  copied. 


V. 

EARLY  RELIGIOUS  HISTORY. 

The  Bishop  had  so  little  the  habit  of  talking  about  himself, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  give  fully  his  early  religious  history.  A 
child  of  religious  parents,  in  a  household  sanctified  by  family 
prayer  and  Godly  instruction,  he  was  religiously  trained.  Dur- 
ing his  childhood,  his  father's  pastor  became  Unitarian.  His 
parents,  from  personal  attachment,  though  they  did  not  share  the 
errors  of  their  minister,  for  some  years  continued  members  of 
his  congregation.  Their  son,  when  about  fifteen  years  old,  began 
to  examine  the  discrepancy  between  the  instructions  he  received 
at  home  and  in  the  place  of  worship  he  attended  on  Sunday. 
After  much  study  he  made  his  choice.  In  November,  1828,  he 
became  a  communicant  in  St.  John's  Church,  and  the  following 
spring  received  confirmation.  The  change  once  made  was  made 
finally.  One  sister  soon  followed  him,  and  was,  at  the  same  time, 
confirmed.  A  few  years  later  his  father  and  mother  joined  with 
him,  but  for  the  time  his  relatives,  friends,  and  associates  were 
mostly  Congregationalists. 

When  asked  recently  how  it  happened  that  he  chose  the  Epis- 
copal Church,  he  replied  he  was  led  to  it  by  the  reading  of 
Ecclesiastical  History. 

Of  his  inward  religious  history  during  early  life,  still  less  is 
known.  It  may  be  judged  by  growth  and  results.  Withotit 
being  one  of  those  perfect  children,  he  was  always  a  conscientious 
boy,  and  attended  faithfully  to  known  religious  duties.    Yet  when 


32  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

his  heart  became  deeply  and  intelligently  interested,  the  change 
in  him  was  very  marked.  He  was  evidently  much  more  prayer- 
ful, and  the  same  duties,  which  had  been  performed  because  his 
conscience  would  not  allow  him  to  neglect  them,  were  done  be- 
cause he  loved  them.  All  that  before  was  simply  right  in  him 
seemed  sanctified. 


VI. 
CHOICE  OF  A  PROFESSION. 

After  graduating  from  college,  Mr.  Burgess  entered  his  father's 
office,  and  completed  the  full  course  of  a  student  at  law,  but 
never  applied  for  admission  to  the  bar. 

Before  he  had  finished  his  studies,  he  had  become  satisfied  that 
it  was  his  duty  to  devote  his  life  to  the  more  direct  service  of 
God,  and  a  tutorship  in  the  college  being  at  that  time  offered  to 
him,  he  accepted  it,  discharging  the  duties  from  1829  to  1831, 
and  pursuing,  at  the  same  time,  his  theological  studies,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Crocker,  long  the  venerated  Rector  of 
St.  John's  Church  in  Providence. 

While  all  must  have  appreciated  his  motives  and  admitted  the 
propriety  of  his  resolution,  there  were  probably  many  who  shared 
the  feelings  expressed  by  one  classmate,  who  wrote  that  he  could 
"not  refrain  from  uttering  one  regret  at  the  loss  which  the  law 
had  sustained;"  adding,  "the  situation  of  our  country  seems  to 
indicate  that,  ere  long,  our  common  happiness  may  require  the 
undivided  efforts  of  able  and  virtuous  men  in  that  profession 
which  appears  to  be  the  great  highway  of  secular  distinction." 

He  probably  never  could  have  been  a  physician,  nor  a  specu- 
lator ;  perhaps  his  prudence  would  have  prevented  his  being  what 
the  world  would  call  a  very  successful  merchant.  He  so  much 
enjoyed  not  only  studying  out  law  cases,  but  reading  trials 
and  tracking  the  criminals,  before  arrest,  from  one  hiding  place 
to  another,  as  to  draw  upon  him  sometimes  the  raillery  of  friends. 
And  yet  all  the  duties,  which  belonged  to  him  as  a  clergyman, 
seemed  to  be  performed  so  easily  and  naturally,  that  when  it  was 


EUROrEAX  yOURXAL.  ^^ 

once  said  to  a  friend  that  his  taste  for  the  law  was  so  strong  that 
it  cost  him  quite  a  struggle  to  relinquish  it  for  the  ministry,  the 
answer  was  a  surprised  exclamation,  "Why,  I  thought  he  was 
born  a  clergyman  !"  The  decision  once  made,  was  fully  made — 
there  was  never  any  looking  back  with  regret  to  what  he  had 
given  up,  never  an  unwillingness  to  take  up  any  duty  which  came 
within  his  sphere.  It  did  not  seem  to  be  in  human  nature  that 
he  should  never  be  weary,  either  mentally  or  physically,  of  the 
constant  demands  upon  himj  btit  if  it  cost  him  self-denial  to 
answer  them,  he  never  showed  it  by  an  impatient  word  or  look. 
He  seemed  to  make  his  duty  emphatically  his  pleasure.  Except 
in  extreme  cases,  when  sickness  or  death  occurred,  he  could 
hardly  be  induced  to  leave  his  Diocese,  even  to  visit  his  family 
or  near  friends.  Such  visits  were  generally  limited  to  a  day  or 
a  night  spent  with  them  on  his  way  to  the  performance  of  official 
duty;  and  often  they  were  entirely  given  up,  when  promised, 
because  a  funeral  or  a  marriage  detained  him  in  his  parish  till 
the  last  moment.  When  it  was  sometimes  suggested  to  him  that 
in  the  case  of  a  wedding,  he  might  ask  the  parties  to  have  some 
consideration  for  his  plans,  and  arrange  their  own  so  as  not  to 
interfere  with  them,  he  would  not  listen,  for  he  said  that  when 
he  gave  himself  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  he  resolved  never 
to  let  his  own  pleasure  stand  in  the  way  of  any  official  duty.  His 
friends  sometimes  tried  to  persuade  him  that  he  had  duties  towards 
them  as  well  as  towards  his  Diocese,  but  he  put  aside  their  re- 
monstrances, saying  that  he  must  look  forward  to  enjoying  their 
society  in  a  world  of  rest. 

VII. 

EUROPEAN  JOURNAL. 

In  April,  1831,  Mr.  Burgess  went  abroad  and  spent  two  years 
in  attending  lectures  in  the  Universities  of  Gottingen,  Bonn,  and 
Berlin,  and  one  year  in  travelling  over  other  portions  of  Europe. 
During  this  time,  he  kept  a  regular  journal;  but  Europe  is  now 
such  familiar  ground,  that  it  is  thought  best  to  extract  only  a  few 
passages,  showing  his  habits  of  life  and  his  devout  spirit. 
3 


34  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

"Saturday,  April  30,  1831.  About  nine  in  the  morning,  I  left 
home  in  the  stage  for  Bristol.  Parting,  although  long  anticipated, 
drew  from  me  more  tears,  perhaps,  than  became  a  man ;  yet  I 
am  not  ashamed  of  them.  My  dear  father  accompanied  me  to 
the  lower  part  of  the  town,  and  was  the  last  of  my  Providence 
acquaintances  whom  I  saw.  As  we  rode  through  Seekonk,  we 
could  frequently  get  a  view  of  the  pleasant  town  we  had  left,  and 
I  gazed  upon  it  with  an  ardent  wish  and  prayer,  that,  if  it  might 
be  the  will  of  my  Heavenly  Father,  I  might  be  restored  to  it  in 
peace  and  prosperity,  finding  what  I  had  left,  all  almost,  who 
are  dearest  to  me,  happy  in  His  blessings.  If  not,  His  Holy 
Will  be  done. 

May  I,  Sunday I  thought  of  my  friends  who  were 

attending  and  enjoying  the  services  of  the  sanctuary.     May  the 
best  blessings  of  Heaven  be  upon  them  ! 

Tuesday,  May  3.  Going  on  deck  immediately  after  I  rose,  I 
found  that  there  was  no  land  to  be  seen;  and  thus,  as  it  were,  the 
last  link  broken  which  bound  us  to  our  country.  We  are  now  left 
to  the  protection  of  Him  who  'stilleth  the  raging  of  the  sea;'  and 
I  may  well  write,  as  a  worthy  friend  of  mine  headed  his  journal 
of  a  voyage,  'the  waves  of  the  sea  are  mighty  and  rage  horribly, 
but  yet  the  Lord  who  dwelleth  on  high,  is  mightier  than  they.' 

June  17,  Friday.  (He  arrived  at  Bremen,  and  on  Saturday, 
June  25,  at  Gottingen.) 

Sunday,  June  26.  Nearly  opposite  the  hotel  where  I  lodged, 
is  the  church  of  St.  James,  where  Dr.  Ruperti  preaches.  I  went 
there  at  nine,  but  a  young  man  of  pretty  good  delivery  addressed 
the  congregation.  The  minister  two  or  three  times  speaks  to 
the  people,  and  seems  to  read,  also,  from  the  Scriptures :  there 
is  a  great  deal  of  singing,  and  to-day  the  clergyman  said  the 
Lord's  Prayer;  but  where  are  the  other  devotional  exercises? 
They  do  not  stand;  they  do  not  kneel;  to  me  their  mode  of 
worship  seems  illy  to  compare  with  most  of  ours,  and  worst  of 
all  to  compare  with  that  of  my  own  Church.  The  music  is  good ; 
but  I  think  it  would  have  been  better  on  this  occasion,  without 
the  French  horn,  which  gave  every  instant  its  discordant  sound. 

Monday,  June  27.  .  .  .  I  called  on  Professor  Lucke,  to  whom 
I  had  an  introduction  from  Professor  Robinson,  of  Andover. 
He  is  distinguished  for  a  work  on  the  New  Testament,  the  writ- 
ings, I  believe,  of  St.  John.  I  found  him  at  his  room,  in  the 
third  story,  I  think,  of  his  lodgings,  and  was  received  by  him 
with  much  politeness.  He  is  about  forty  in  appearance,  and  has 
a  face  of  great  affability  and  kindness.  The  books  in  his  room 
could  by  no  means  compare  in  number  with  the  private  libraries 
of  professional  men,  which  I  have  seen  in  America.  Two  small 
engravings  of  Luther  and  Melancthon  hung  upon  the  wall,  besides 


AT  GOTTINGEN.  35 

some  which  I  did  not  distinguish,  and  a  handsome  female  \xjx- 
trait.  I  confess  I  feh  something  of  the  enthusiasm  of  a  student 
when  I  saw  him  thus,  representing  the  great  assembly  of  German 
scholars;  something  like  the  love  of  learning  for  its  own  sake. 
Some  circumstances  at  dinner,  where  about  thirty  students  were 
my  companions  to-day,  especially  the  brawling  of  one  drunken 
booby,  had  rather  disgusted  me ;  but  I  now  felt  in  a  purer  air. 

Tuesday,  June  28.  .  .  .  The  situation  of  a  person  in  a  foreign 
country  where  he  cannot  speak  or  understand  the  language,  is 
not  much  to  be  envied.  He  need  not  want  the  necessaries  of  life, 
indeed ;  and  he  can  go  from  one  place  to  another  ;  but  the  incon- 
veniences to  which  he  is  continually  subjected,  the  ludicrous 
figure  which  he  sees  himself  making,  the  wonder  of  staring  chil- 
dren, the  liability  to  imposition,  the  want  of  ability  to  learn  the 
news  of  the  day,  and  especially  the  want  of  ability  to  unite  in 
public  worship,  compel  him  to  wish,  and  if  he  is  placed  like  me, 
to  apply  himself  pretty  diligently,  to  acquire  the  language. 

Thursday,  June  30.  One  cannot  go  far  along  the  streets  of 
Gottingen  without  meeting  many  of  the  thousand  young  men  who 
came  here  for  study.  Quite  gentlemanly  young  men  in  their 
personal  appearance  they  usually  are;  very  much  such  persons 
as  the  elder  class  of  students  at  our  colleges.  Go  out  at  what 
time  you  will,  you  will  see  them  with  their  note-books  under  their 
arms,  or  else  walking  on  the  ramparts  or  without  the  walls ;  and, 
towards  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  at  their  windows,  often  leaning 
out,  with  their  long  pipes  projecting  before  them.  Many  of  them 
have  rather  a  ridiculous  affectation  of  Avearing  mustachios,  and 
leaving  the  beard  in  front  of  the  chin ;  of  putting  on  embroidered 
coats,  or  of  having  a  great  dog  at  their  heels.  When  a  large 
body  of  young  men  are  collected,  something  must  be  done  for 
the  sake  of  distinction.  A  very  large  proportion  of  the  good 
houses  in  the  city  have,  of  course,  some  student  residing  in  them. 
I  have  as  yet  seen  no  person  whose  visage  has  been  disfigured  by 
a  wound  received  in  single  combat ;  and  I  have  seen  very  little 
that  had  in  the  least  a  turbulent,  riotous  aspect. 

This  day  closes  two  months  of  my  absence  from  home,  two 
weeks  of  my  residence  in  Germany.  May  God  grant  that  the 
life  He  has  crowned  with  mercies  may  be  devoted  to  His  service  ! 

Sunday,  July  10.  ...  I  find  most  enjoyment  on  Sunday,  by 
myself,  with  my  Bible  and  Prayer-Book,  and  the  thoughts  of  those 
who  pray  for  me  at  home. 

Thursday,  July  28.  It  seems  something  like  an  obligation  to 
the  memory  of  distinguished  men,  to  open  one's  self  to  the  feelings 
which  the  scenes  where  they  have  trodden  are  adapted  to  excite. 
There  have  been  literary  giants  here ;  and  as  I  walk  slowly  along 
the  ramparts,  as  evening  approaches,  and  look  abroad  over  the 


30  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

green  plains  and  gentle  ascents,  the  road  lined  with  poplars,  the 
church-yards  by  the  stream,  the  academic  hall ;  or  turn  my  eyes 
towards  the  roofs  and  towers  of  the  city,  I  remind  myself  that 
here,  under  the  shade,  perhaps,  of  these  same  linden  trees,  look- 
ing upon  the  scene,  which  fifty  or  a  hundred  years  may  not  have 
much  changed,  have  passed  men  whose  names  are  heard  in  every 
land.  Haller,  Michaelis,  Cellarius,  Mosheim,  Heyne,  Berger, 
Eichhorn,  a  host  of  others,  teachers  and  taught,  have  given  to 
this  seat  of  learning  much  of  their  own  renown.  Still,  to  the 
thoughtful  spectator  of  illustrious  scenes,  constantly  recurs  the 
reflection  that  time  is  constantly  hurrying  on  age  after  age  ;  and 
that  whatever  value  may  be  set  upon  learning  or  magnanimity, 
yet  human  glory  is  but  a  transient  thing,  and  something  better 
and  more  durable  is  to  be  sought. 

Tuesday,  August  i6.  Almost  everyday,  at  eleven  o'clock,  the 
bell  tolls  for  a  minute  or  two,  affording  us  a  frequent  remem- 
brance of  the  necessity  of  our  own  preparation  by  repentance  for 
our  ?ins,  and  faith  in  Him  who  alone  can  take  away  the  sting  of 
death.  Oh,  may  I  have  that  complete  preparation,  whenever 
and  wherever  my  hour  shall  come,  and  may  it  be  my  chief  and 
constant  aim  to  approve  my  heart  before  God,  through  His  grace, 
and  to  labor  for  my  own  salvation,  and  that  of  my  fellow-men  ! 

Sunday,  September  i8.  .  .  .  A  candidate  in  theology,  and 
a  pious  man,  named  Briose,  with  whom  I  had  formed  a  slight 
acquaintance,  called  on  me  in  the  evening  in  company  with  a 
young  man  from  Switzerland  who  has  been  in  England  and 
studied  in  Berlin ;  and  we  read  a  chapter  together,  conversed  on 
it  and  prayed.  The  Christian  spirit  is  the  same  everywhere  : 
O,  may  I  feel  it  more  abundantly  in  my  own  heart,  and  may  it  be 
shed  abroad  upon  my  distant  friends  ! 

Monday,  September  19.  Being  at  the  Library,  I  was  shown  a 
folio  copy  of  an  early  edition  of  Luther's  translation  of  the  Bible, 
with  which  were  bound  up  specimens  of  the  handwriting  of  Luther, 
Melancthon,  Justus  Jonas,  and  others.  Of  the  first  two,  that  of 
Luther  was  perhaps  in  its  day  the  best ;  that  of  Melancthon  is  the 
larger  and  more  legible.  I  saw  also  a  Bible  from  some  nation 
about  the  Caspian  Sea,  written  upon  long  strips  of  palm  leaves, 
and  each  book  tied  by  itself,  the  whole  filling  a  large  case  of 
drawers. 

Sunday,  October  2,  Quedlinberg.  I  saw,  for  the  first  time,  the 
Lord's  Supper  administered  in  a  Lutheran  church.  There  were 
perhaps  forty  or  fifty  communicants,  and  the  time  was  after  the 
morning  service.  The  communicants  beirfg  seated  in  the  chancel, 
one  of  the  clergymen  addressed  them  at  considerable  length,  and 
read  a  few  prayers,  and  chanted  also  the  Lord's  Prayer,  if  I 
recollect  rightly,  and  some  other  appropriate  exercises.     There 


AT  EISLEBEN.  37 

was  also  singing  on  the  part  of  the  communicants.  Then  the 
other  clergyman  entered,  and  they  two  having  partaken,  the 
communicants  advanced  two  or  three  at  a  time,  presented  them- 
selves before  one  of  the  ministers,  at  the  distance  of  a  few  feet, 
and  bowed,  then  stepped  forward  and  received  the  bread,  which 
was  by  him  placed  in  the  mouth  of  each  with  certain  words  which 
I  could  not  understand,  as  the  organ  was  all  the  time  in  operation, 
accompanied  by  a  few  fine  youthful  voices.  Each  couple,  when 
they  had  received  the  bread,  stepped  back,  bowed  and  retired 
behind  the  altar,  and  coming  forth  on  the  other  side,  received 
the  cup  from  the  other  minister  with  the  same  ceremonies.  Some 
further  prayers  were  read,  and  the  people  dismissed.  My  dear 
parents  and  sister,  and  many  of  my  friends,  probably  received 
the  sacrament  this  day.  There  are  many  obstacles  to  my  recep- 
tion of  it  here;  but  I  look  forward  in  hope  to  the  time  when,  if 
it  be  the  will  of  God,  I  may  thankfully  partake  with  them  of  that 
holy  ordinance;  and,  above  all,  to  the  time  when,  through  His 
unspeakable  grace  and  mercy,  we  may  sit  down  together  in  His 
heavenly  kingdom. 

Wednesday,  October  5,  Eisleben.  .  .  .  But  the  house  of 
Dr.  Luther,  as  the  Germans  call  him,  will  of  course  be  visited 
by  the  stranger.  It  is  a  low  building  of  two  stories  and  moderate 
size,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  adjoins 
other  houses.  Its  upper  part  has  been  burned  and  restored  ; 
but  the  lower  remains  as  formerly.  Over  the  door  is  the  figure 
of  the  reformer  with  an  inscription,  and  on  the  window  Luther 
and  Melancthon  have  long  been  painted  at  full  length.  The  room 
where  the  great  reformer  was  born,  is  occupied  as  a  school  for 
the  children  of  the  poor,  and  I  saw  it  full  of  them;  it  is  on  the 
lower  floor  as  one  enters.  Above  stairs  is  a  collection  of  curiosi- 
ties relating  to  Luther  and  the  Reformation;  specimens  of  the 
handwriting  of  Luther  and  Melancthon ;  the  originals,  as  I  under- 
stood it,  on  parchment,  of  the  letters  of  indulgence  granted  by 
the  Cardinal  of  Ostia,  one  of  them  as  old  as  1497  ;  and  the 
writing  table  of  Luther,  at  which  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  sitting 
and  recording  my  name  among  those  of  the  other  visitors.  And 
so  here  in  this  house,  and  in  these  streets,  did  that  great  instru- 
ment of  Providence  first  breathe  and  think  and  move.  And  how 
much  do  we  owe  under  divine  Providence  to  that  man !  What 
consequences  have  resulted  from  his  courage  and  perseverance, 
his  love  of  the  Scriptures,  and  his  zeal  for  the  propagation  of 
truth.  Rough  he  was,  like  his  strongly  marked  face ;  yet  it  is 
not  easy  for  a  Protestant  rightly  to  contemplate  his  character 
without  admiration,  nor  can  we  duly  consider  his  labors  and  suc- 
cess without  hearty  gratitude  that  he  was  so  employed  for  such 
ends. 


3S  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Thursday,  October  6,  Halle.  My  lodging  is  near  the  cele- 
brated Orphan  House  and  other  foundations  of  the  excellent 
Francke.  These  consist  of  a  very  extensive  range  of  buildings, 
some  four,  five  or  six  stories  high,  surrounding  a  court  several 
hundred  feet  in  length,  and  fronting  on  an  open  place.  At  the 
end  of  this  court  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Francke  in  his  gown  and 
cap,  in  the  act  of  blessing  two  children,  one  of  whom  holds  the 
Scriptures.  It  is  an  interesting  group,  and  the  inscription  is 
simply  the  name  of  the  pious  founder,  with  the  words,  '  He 
trusted  in  God.'  There  were  many  boys  about  the  buildings, 
and  my  whole  impression  was  one  of  admiration  at  what  the 
labors  and  prayers  of  one  devout  man  had  effected;  schools, 
charities,  libraries,  so  various  and  so  comprehensive.  The  in- 
scriptions which  I  saw  were  all  very  appropriate.  Over  the 
handsome  front  are  a  sun  and  two  black  eagles,  with  the  passage 
from  Isaiah  :  '  They  that  wait  on  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength ; 
they  shall  mount  with  wings  like  eagles.'  Nine  boys,  with  their 
teacher,  this  morning,  passed,  singing,  before  the  doors. 

Friday,  October  14,  Dresden.  I  have  seen  the  Library,  a 
most  noble  one,  consisting  of  more  than  three  hundred  thousand 
volumes.  It  occupies  the  second  and  third  stories  of  the  elegant 
Japan  Palace,  as  it  is  called  from  the  collection  of  porcelain 
which,  with  some  other  fine  exhibitions,  fills  the  first  of  this 
princely  museum.  Beside  this  building  is  an  open  public  garden, 
from  which,  as  well  as  from  the  palace,  delightful  prospects  are 
in  view.  Through  the  Library  I  was  shown,  and  it  appeared  to 
me  larger  and  certainly  much  more  elegant  than  that  at  Gottin- 
gen.  It  is  especially  rich  in  history,  and  has  many  manuscripts. 
So  numerous  are  the  copies  of  the  classics,  that  to  each  of  seve- 
ral a  whole  series  of  shelves  are  allotted.  Much  more  care  has 
been  taken,  as  well  as  money  expended,  to  have  elegant  editions, 
than  at  Gottingen.  A  curious  literary  and  typographical  monu- 
ment was  examined  by  me :  a  book,  of  which  a  few  copies  were 
printed,  containing  translations  of  a  few  triumphal  odes  or 
pieces  on  the  deliverance  of  Europe  by  the  allies,  into  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  languages.  Perhaps  it  is  doubtful  whether  such  a 
work  could  have  been  executed  in  any  other  country.  This 
library  is  at  the  command  of  the  citizens,  and  perfectly  accessible 
to  strangers  for  purposes  of  reading  and  writing.  Had  circum- 
stances allowed,  gladly  would  I  have  remained  a  few  days  to 
avail  myself  a  little  of  the  privilege ;  but  time  presses. 

Saturday,  October  22,  Weimar.  Here,  then,  is  the  city  so 
renowned  in  the  history  of  German  literature ;  the  court  where  a 
petty  Augustus  called  together  the  poets  of  the  land ;  and  where 
the  prince  of  those  poets  in  extreme  old  age  still  receives  the 
applause  of  his  countrymen.     These  streets,  this  park,  this  wood 


AT  BONN.  39 

have  been  traced  and  retraced  by  Wieland  and  by  Schiller ;  in 
yonder  church  the  voice  of  Herder  has  been  often  echoed ;  and 
Goethe  is  still  here. 

Friday,  November  4,  Bonn.  The  transition  from  travel  to  rest, 
as  from  rest  to  travel,  is  ever  apt  to  be  pleasant,  and  content  to 
be  once  more  established,  although  my  tour  has  been  one  of  con- 
tinual gratification,  I  made  haste  to  procure  lodgings  at  Bonn, 
not  waiting  to  take  a  very  particular  view  of  the  town,  for  which 
I  shall  have  ample  time  should  life  and  health  be  spared.  The 
rooms  which  I  procured  are  on  the  third  floor  of  a  good  four-story 
house  close  by  the  market  and  University  buildings ;  and  although 
they  were  perhaps  once  better  than  they  are  now,  yet  will  doubt- 
less be  sufficient,  with  a  contented  mind,  to  make  me  comfort- 
able. Here  I  accordingly  arranged  my  articles  of  use,  and  began 
now  to  form  my  plans  for  attendance  upon  the  lectures,  and  with 
that  view  waited  upon  the  Secretary  and  entered  my  name.  A 
few  of  the  lectures  are  begun;  others  commence  on  different 
days  of  next  week. 

Wednesday,  November  30.  Students  are  students  every- 
where ;  and  the  eagerness  with  which,  at  the  ringing  of  the  bell 
telling  that  the  lecture  hour  is  closed,  the  pen  and  ink  are  laid 
by,  reminds  me  of  old  scenes.  From  that  moment  little  attention 
remains  for  the  hasty  addition  of  a  few  words  which  the  professor 
would  sometimes  make,  though  he  does  not  mind  breaking  off 
in  the  middle  of  a  subject. 

Saturday,  December  3.  The  life  of  a  German  student  during 
his  three  years  at  the  University  is  in  some  respects  peculiar. 
Subjected  to  few  restraints,  he  may  follow  his  inclinations  as  to 
private  study,  reading,  the  occupation  of  his  time,  company,  and 
eating  and  drinking ;  and  it  would  be  surprising  if  these  young 
men  did  not  emerge  from  the  toilsome  task  of  copying,  day  after 
day,  several  courses  of  lectures,  with  a  strong  relish  for  some 
relaxation.  There  is,  notwithstanding,  much  devotedness  to 
study,  and  perhaps  often  under  circumstances  of  poverty  or  want 
of  future  prospects,  which  might  discourage  an  American.  For  the 
rest,  it  is  the  training  at  the  gymnasium,  for  seven  or  eight  years 
in  an  uninterrupted  course  of  classical  study,  to  which,  together 
with  their  large  libraries  and  patient  dispositions,  I  should  ascribe 
much  of  the  perfection  in  ancient  learning  possessed  by  the  Ger- 
mans. 

Saturday,  December  10.  I  am  told  that  a  number  of  duels 
were  fought  on  Tuesday,  as  many,  according  to  my  informant,  as 
thirty,  though  that  is  probably  an  exaggeration;  and  that  others 
were  in  contemplation.  Several  wounds  were  received  ;  one 
student,  it  is  said,  had  three,  the  last  of  which  was  a  cut  from  one 
side  of  the  face  to  the  other.     Another,  if  the  story  be  true,  had 


40  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

his  ear  completely  taken  off;  but  the  skilful  surgeon  succeeded 
in  replacing  it.  This  wicked  and  absurd  practice  prevails,  there- 
fore, in  no  small  extent.  The  theologians,  who  do  not  generally 
belong  to  the  several  associations,  are  not  when  so  situated  ex- 
posed to  challenges;  but  those  who  do  belong  to  them  fight,  if 
they  fight  at  all,  with  covered  faces,  as  a  wound  would  deprive 
them  of  a  future  settlement. 

Friday,  December  i6.  The  occasional  cultivation  of  whis- 
kers and  moustachios  among  the  German  students  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  and  those  articles  are  often  not  altogether  unbecom- 
ing. But  the  fancy  of  allowing  the  beard  to  grow  as  here  and 
there  a  fellow  does,  is  so  contrary  to  modern  fashions  that  it 
appears  strange  and  sometimes  disgusting.  The  true  cause  of  it 
is,  I  am  apt  to  suspect,  laziness,  or  at  least  an  indisposition  to 
shaving,  for  much  trouble  is  perhaps  thus  saved.  There  are  two 
or  three  of  these  beards  at  the  lectures  which  I  attend,  and  one 
of  them  is  accompanied  with  a  long  growth  of  heavy  hair  be- 
hind like  a  mop.  For  the  rest,  boys  under  nine  or  ten  years  are 
sometimes  to  be  seen  with  long  yellow  hair  falling  upon  their 
shoulders. 

Monday,  December  19.  Having  now  been  in  Germany  six 
months,  and  seen  various  parts  of  it,  I  have  had  an  opportunity 
to  acquire  in  a  good  degree  an  acquaintance  with  the  character 
of  the  people.  I  like  in  them  their  good  nature,  patience,  integ- 
rity, industry,  good  order ;  I  dislike  their  lightness  in  their  views 
of  sin,  which  shows  itself  in  various  points,  especially  in  the 
breach  of  the  third  commandment,  in  the  duels  among  the  stu- 
dents, and  in  the  disregard  of  the  Lord's  day.  The  religion  of 
those  who  are  truly  religious,  so  far  as  I  have  observed,  is  warm 
and  liberal,  and  perhaps,  under  all  disadvantages,  there  is  more 
of  it  than  we  may  sometimes  have  imagined. 

Sunday,  January  i,  1832.  May  this  new  year  be  begun, 
continued,  and,  if  it  please  God,  ended  by  me  and  mine  with 
good  resolutions  and  holy  desires,  and  virtuous  and  Christian 
habits  implanted  and  confirmed  by  his  Holy  Spirit ! 

Monday,  January  9.  My  great  difficulty  is  to  find  time 
enough  for  what  I  want  to  do.  There  is  so  much  to  be  studied, 
read,  heard,  seen,  and  written,  that  I  do  not  want  employment 
from  sunrise  to  midnight.  It  would  be  gratifying  to  look  into 
the  German  poets  and  historians ;  to  read  Tacitus  on  the  spot ;  to 
see  what  travellers  have  thought  of  this  land ;  but  theology  must 
have  my  principal  attention,  and  I  am  very  willing  it  should. 

Sunday,  January  29.  .  .  .  I  still  meet  with  a  circle  of  friends 
on  Sunday  evening  to  my  pleasure,  and  I  hope  to  my  profit. 

Saturday,  February  18.  The  burial-ground  lies  just  out  of  toAvn, 
and  is  a  triangular  lot  of  small  dimensions,  which,  but  for  a  num- 


AT  BONN.  41 

ber  of  old  stones  set  in  the  outside  of  the  wall,  and  one  or  two  large 
flat  ones  whose  inscription  is  obliterated,  one  would  be  inclined 
to  suppose  recently  planned.  It  is  another  striking  instance  of 
the  national  indifference  to  funeral  monuments.  Those  which 
are  here,  stone,  wood,  and  iron,  are  the  reverse  of  si)lendor  and 
often  of  durability;  and  probably  a  large  majority  of  the  dead 
are  entirely  without  memorial.  Niebuhr  is  buried  here,  but  the 
spot  may  be  sought  in  vain.  The  wife  of  Schiller  sleeps  under 
two  young  trees,  such  as  are  planted  all  around  by  the  wall,  with 
the  simple  inscription  of  her  name,  birth,  and  death :    '  Here 

rests  the  widow  of  Frederic  von  Schiller,  born  Charlotte . 

Born ,  died  .'     It  was  towards  sunset  when  I  visited 

the  place,  and,  as  I  returned,  I  looked  towards  the  west  and 
thought  of  my  country  and  friends.  France  and  the  ocean  lie 
between,  but  God  is  with  us.     May  we  all  be  his  children ! 

Monday,  February  27.  .  .  .  In  the  general  cheapness,  it  is 
remarkable  that  the  expenses  of  a  degree  at  the  University  are  so 
great.  Although  every  one,  at  the  expiration  of  three  years,  is 
entided,  after  an  examination,  to  his  doctorate,  yet  I  am  told 
that  the  cost  will  not  fall  far  short  of  two  hundred  rix  dollars. 
The  consequence  is  that  very  few  take  their  degree,  except  the 
medical  students,  for  whom  it  is  necessary.  Whether  they  pay 
so  much  I  know  not. 

Thursday,  March  8.  ...  I  begin  to  feel  something  of  pain 
at  the  thought  of  leaving  Bonn  so  soon,  where  I  have  found  so 
many,  such  kind,  and  such  excellent  friends,  and  going  forth 
again  amongst  strangers.  But  this  pain  will  soon  cease,  and 
leave  the  delightful  hope  of  a  happy  meeting  in  that  blessed  king- 
dom where  there  shall  be  no  more  painful  parting.  And  for  the 
rest,  I  have  everywhere  the  same  merciful  Protector. 

Tuesday,  March  13.  For  more  than  four  months  I  have  not 
conversed  perhaps  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  English, 
and  I  have  thus  had  a  good  opportunity  to  experience  how  fami- 
liar one  may  become  with  the  sound  of  a  foreign  language.  I 
should  soon  become  accustomed  to  think  in  German,  and  indeed 
do  in  part. 

Wednesday,  March  14.  The  Wednesday  morning  sermons  of 
the  students  of  the  Seminary  are  discontinued  ;  and  this  eve- 
ning began  the  series  of  discourses  which  is  usual  during  Lent  in 
the  Evangelical  Church.  Professor  Nitzsch  preached  on  the 
feeling  of  our  Lord  in  anticipation  of  his  sufferings  and  death. 
The  text  was  the  words  of  our  Saviour  when  the  Greeks  sought 
to  see  him,  as  recorded  by  St.  John.  It  was  a  most  impressive 
and  excellent  sermon,  and  left  on  my  mind  a  sense  of  the  un- 
speakable love  of  our  blessed  Lord,  which  I  pray  may  not  pass 
away. 


42  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Sunday,  March  i8.  .  .  .  At  our  circle  of  friends  this  evening, 
we  had  the  company  of  a  clergyman  of  Elberfeld,  a  place  which, 
with  the  surrounding  region,  is  eminently  the  seat  of  piety.  His 
name  is  Doring ;  a  man  perhaps  of  fifty ;  and  I  was  delighted  with 
his  Christian  kindness  and  warmth,  shining  forth  in  all  his  con- 
versation. With  the  utmost  frankness  he  invited  me,  if  I  came 
to  Elberfeld,  to  lodge  with  him;  and  at  parting  uttered  the  truly 
comfortable  and  blessed  sentiment:  'Christians  never  see  one 
another  for  the  last  time.' 

Monday,  March  19.  It  is  said  that  Melancthon  resided 
awhile  here  in  Bonn,  in  intercourse  with  the  Archbishop  of 
Cologne  in  those  days,  who  favored  the  reformation,  and  was 
compelled  to  leave  his  office.  This  is  but  a  slight  association. 
For  the  rest,  Beethoven,  the  great  musical  composer,  was  born 
here;  Niebuhr  died  here;  and  August  Wilhelm  von  Schlegel, 
though  now  absent,  is  still  a  citizen  of  Bonn.  He  is  now  in  Lon- 
don, and  I  regret  that  I  have  not  the  opportunity  to  hear  a  single 
lecture  from  him.  In  his  manners  he  is  said  to  be  effeminate 
and  vain  ;  but  of  his  exalted  powers  there  can  be  no  doubt.  He 
is  very  eminently  learned  in  Sanscrit;  in  general  literature  has 
few  rivals;  and  his  translation  of  Shakspeare  is  said  to  be  un- 
paralleled in  the  history  of  translations. 

Tuesday,  March  27.  .  .  .  Goethe  is  dead.  At  the  age  of 
eighty-two  he  expired  gently,  having  long  outlived  his  renowned 
associates,  Wieland,  Schiller,  and  Herder.  Thus,  since  I  have 
been  in  Bonn,  I  have  received  the  news  of  the  death  of  the  first 
German  philosopher  and  the  first  German  poet  of  their  own,  per- 
haps of  any  age,  Hegel  and  Goethe.  May  I  live  as  I  shall  wish 
that  I  had  done  when  earthly  fame  is  of  no  value,  and  an  account 
must  be  rendered  for  every  talent ! 

Thursday,  March  29.  A  beautiful  ■  spring  day.  I  called  on 
Professor  Freytag,  and  when  he  learned  my  intention  of  leaving 
Bonn,  he  pressed  me  with  such  arguments  to  remain  through  the 
summer,  that  I  was  led  to  serious  consideration  of  the  matter, 
and  although  it  may  show  a  want  of  previous  reflection,  I  am 
strongly  led  to  adopt  his  view.  He  urged  the  good  beginning 
which  I  had  made  in  Hebrew,  and  the  advantage  of  pursuing  it; 
that  the  spring  is  no  time  to  travel  in  Switzerland,  where  he  has 
been ;  and  when  I  consider  how  much  more  beneficial  in  respect 
to  my  profession  a  thorough  exegetical  course  will  be  than  an 
irregular  stay  for  a  little  while  at  many  places,  and  add  the  diffi- 
culty of  travelling  in  the  South  of  Europe  in  the  present  state  of 
affairs,  everything  seems  to  point  to  a  longer  residence  in  Bonn. 

Friday,  May  11.  I  have  made  arrangements  for  the  summer 
lectures.  I  design  to  hear  Professor  Nitzsch's  course  on  Christian 
doctrine,  and  that  on  the  pastoral  office;  Professor  Sack's  on 


STUDENT  LIFE  EV  GERMANY.  43 

what  is  termed  Apologetik;  Professor  Freytag's  on  Isaiah;  Pro- 
fessor Bleek's  on  the  Introduction  to  the  Old  Testament ;  Pro- 
fessor Rheinwald's  on  Church  History  and  on  Ecclesiastical 
Antiquities;  and  Professor  Brandis's  on  Kant's  System;  eight  in 
all,  four  private,  and  four  public;  one  of  six  hours,  two  of  five, 
two  of  four,  and  three  of  two  in  the  week;  thirty  hours  in  all,  or 
about  five  hours  a  day  on  the  average.  Many  students  hear  less, 
and  some  more. 

Monday,  May  14.  I  have  to-day  attended  four  lectures,  and 
written  them  all — not  so  difficult  a  task  as  one  might  imagine. 

Saturday,  June  23.  The  sight  of  one  of  these  vast  libraries 
is  adapted  to  awaken  a  train  of  reflections.  What  is  literary 
renown  among  such  a  multitude  who  have  gained  more  or  less  of 
it !  How  little  can  one  learn  in  this  short  life,  could  even  all  of 
it  be  given  to  learning !  How  can  a  man  be  puffed  up  with  lite- 
rary pride  amidst  such  a  host  of  superiors,  himself  able  to  grasp 
so  little  and  passing  away  so  soon !  But  it  is  painful  to  think  of 
the  absolute  impossibility  of  thorough  fundamental  investigation 
with  our  exceedingly  limited  means  in  America.  I  am  almost 
disposed  to  think  that  our  States  ought  to  do  something  for  learn- 
ing in  their  public  capacity. 

Friday,  June  29.  .  .  .  I  do  admire  this  nation  ;  they  have 
less  external  splendor,  but  they  have  minds  and  hearts. 

Sunday,  July  15.  .  .  .  I  am  not  seldom  requested  by  friends. 
Christian  friends,  to  make  little  excursions  on  Sunday,  which, 
according  to  our  views  of  the  day,  are  at  least  inexpedient.  I 
take  my  ground  thereon;  that,  though  many  such  things  may 
not  be  inconsistent  with  the  Divine  Law,  and  may  not  in  such 
society  less  forward  my  edification  and  improvement  in  grace 
than  my  hours  at  home,  yet  I  will  not  do  that  which  would  fur- 
nish ground  of  objection  to  enlightened  Christians  of  our  view 
of  the  subject;  at  least  not  without  satisfaction  in  my  own  con- 
science. Still,  there  are  points  and  degrees  in  which  the  custom 
of  the  land  must  not  be  vigorously  opposed. 

Tuesday,  July  17.  It  is  a  reflection  not  altogether  without  a 
momentary  sensation  of  something  like  pain,  that  in  my  country 
we  are  so  severed  from  every  relic  of  past  ages.  This  living 
among  objects  which  remind  us  continually  of  memorable  his- 
tories and  memorable  men,  not  merely  produces  an  impression 
on  a  boyish  fancy,  but,  if  I  may  judge  from  experience,  exercises 
an  exalting,  enlarging  influence  on  the  whole  train  of  feeling  and 
thought.  For  an  educated  man,  it  is  certainly  a  want  which  ren- 
ders our  country  in  one  respect  less  interesting.  But  she  has 
enough,  more  than  enough,  to  make  up  fully  for  the  loss.  I 
think  of  her  with  gratitude  to  God.     And  if  she  had  no  equiva- 


44  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

lent  for  this  comparatively  little  deficiency,  she  has  my  friends, 
my  family ;  ten  thousand  times  more  to  me. 

Wednesday,  July  i8.  There  is  one  effect  which  appears  to 
be  sometimes  produced  by  travelling,  but  which  I  desire  may 
not  be  produced  in  me.  A  traveller  sees  the  best,  perhaps,  of 
a  foreign  country;  he  is  free  from  the  cares  or  mortifications 
which  he  may  feel  at  home,  and  thus,  especially  upon  an  Ameri- 
can who  has  nothing  similar  in  his  own  land,  an  impression  may 
be  made  unfavorable  to  his  love  of  country,  at  least  unfavorable 
to  his  love  of  living  in  his  own  country ;  and  a  desire  may  arise 
to  revisit  the  places  which  he  has  once  visited  so  strong  as  to  im- 
pede his  usefulness  and  his  happiness.  Travelling  is,  indeed,  for 
a  young  man  exquisitely  pleasant ;  but  pleasure  is  not  the  first 
object  to  be  sought.  Religion,  duty,  love,  may  these  ever  bear 
unshaken  rule  in  my  heart ! 

Tuesday,  September  4.  .  .  .  The  desire  to  visit  the  source 
of  the  Danube  I  had  long  indulged ;  this  was  the  only  oppor- 
tunity; it  would  be  a  thing  to  tell  of;  and  though  I  knew  it 
would  detain  me,  I  decided  on  the  excursion.  .  .  .  The  ascent 
to  the  top  of  the  ridge  was  long  and  tiresome.  There  I  found  an 
open  prospect,  far  over  the  summits  of  many  a  hill  in  each  direc- 
tion. A  noble  pasture  country  crowns  these  hills;  there  is  wood 
enough,  but  it  is  no  merely  wild,  dark  forest.  On  the  top  of  the 
hill  I  found  a  very  comfortable  inn  in  the  style  of  the  region, 
where  I  took  a  bowl  of  excellent  milk  with  bread,  and  procured 
information  of  the  way  to  the  place  which  I  sought,  and  which, 
I  found,  is  not  altogether  without  resort.  I  passed  along  the 
hills  about  two  miles,  and  came  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  spot. 
A  house  and  a  little  chapel  had  been  described  to  me ;  these  I 
found ;  but  inquiring  of  a  girl  who  was  driving  cows  close  by,  I 
could  obtain  no  information ;  she  did  not  understand  me  perhaps ; 
in  truth  it  is  a  strange  German  which  they  here  speak.  While  I 
was  searching,  and  had  fallen  upon  a  wrong  fountain,  a  fellow 
appeared  with  a  clear,  almost  fierce  eye,  who  comprehended 
what  I  would  have,  and  told  me  that  the  spot  was  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, but  so  wild  that  I  could  not  find  it.  On  this,  I  asked  him 
if  he  would  go  with  me;  he  said  yes,  if  I  would  give  him  a  good 
drink-money.  As  he  was  so  special  in  his  demand,  I  inquired 
how  much  he  would  have;  that,  he  said,  he  would  leave  to  me; 
'so  much  as  God  puts  in  your  mind,  give.'  So  we  went  together, 
and  I  found  him  an  apparently  true-hearted  fellow,  though  I  can 
imagine  circumstances  in  which  I  should  rather  meet  a  moun- 
taineer with  a  milder  eye.  Under  a  few  trees,  perhaps  firs,  on 
the  side  of  the  hill  the  mightiest  river  of  Europe  springs  into  ex- 
istence. When  it  has  rained  much,  it  is  visible  some  feet  above 
where  it  now  appeared.     First  there  was  wet  grass,  then  a  little 


AT  BERLIN.  45 

Standing  water  in  the  holes;  then  it  flowed.  The  taste  was  not 
unpleasant.  I  stood  upon  the  spot  at  a  quarter  past  five ;  and  it 
is  a  pleasure  to  have  stood  there.  There  is  another  branch  which 
rises  a  few  miles  farther  on,  but  which,  although  about  equally 
long,  bears  another  name  till  both  unite  at  Donauschwingen,  un- 
der the  name  of  the  Danube." 

After  visiting  Vienna,  Prague,  and  Frankfort-on-the-Oder,  he 
thus  recorded  his  arrival  at  Berlin  : — 

"Tuesday,  February  19,  Berlin.  Through  the  continual  mercy 
and  watchful  providence  of  God,  I  am  happily  arrived  at  the 
end  of  this  long  journey  of  six  months,  in  excellent  health,  with- 
out experiencing  any  unpleasant  accident  of  the  least  importance, 
and  after  very  much  of  enjoyment  and  instruction.  May  God  be 
praised,  and  may  all  the  fruits  of  this  journey  be  devoted  heartily 
to  his  glory !    Alas,  I  am  not  thankful  as  I  should  be. 

Wednesday,  February  27.  I  was  immatriculated  to-day,  with 
the  usual  ceremony.  The  present  rector  is  Dr.  Meiss,  Professor 
of  Mineralogy.  There  are  only  two  or  three  courses  of  lectures, 
the  remaining  part  of  which  I  think  it  of  much  importance  for 
me  constantly  to  attend,  such  as  Schleiermacher's  on  Biblical 
Criticism,  and  Neander's  on  the  History  of  Doctrines.  These 
are  of  such  a  description  that  a  part  may  be  heard  to  advantage 
without  the  rest. 

Friday,  April  26.  As  some  of  the  lectures  begin  next  Mon- 
day, I  have  made  the  necessary  arrangements.  I  design  to  hear 
in  the  ensuing  semester  Schleiermacher  on  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
Neander  on  the  Minor  Epistles  of  Paul,  and  on  the  History  of 
Doctrines,  Hengstenberg  on  the  Book  of  Job,  Steffens  on  the 
Philosophy  of  Religion,  and  perhaps  Machenicke  on  the  symboli- 
cal books  of  different  churches.  This  will  make,  with  what  I 
shall  less  regularly  hear,  about  six  hours  a  day  on  the  average, 
at  least  five.  The  fees  here  are  high,  a  louis  d'or  for  each  pri- 
vate course,  and  the  public  courses  are  comparatively  seldom;  a 
great  many  students,  however,  have  the  fee  released,  or  the  pay- 
ment postponed  till  some  future  period ;  a  privilege  which,  in 
certain  circumstances,  the  laws  allow  them  to  claim. 

Wednesday,  June  19.  As  there  was  to-day  an  oratorio  at  the 
Garrison  Church  for  the  benefit  of  a  charitable  institution,  I 
attended  in  the  wish  to  see  one  performance  of  that  description 
in  this  land  of  music.  The  piece  was  the  Creation,  by  Haydn, 
and  the  choir  of  singers  were  daughters  of  citizens  of  Berlin ;  the 
musicians  were  doubtless  the  best  to  be  procured,  and  two  or 
three  distinguished  male  and  one  female  opera  singer  sang  the 
duets  and  solos.     There  were  magnificent  parts  and  fine  voices; 


46  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

but  the  whole  only  confirmed  the  conviction  how  unable  I  am 
to  judge  or  to  enjoy  the  highest  branches  of  harmony.  One 
solitary  song,  or  one  plain  hymn,  makes  much  more  impression 
on  me. 

Thursday,  June  20.  Who  can  help  admiring  at  this  moment 
the  spectacle  of  the  British  nation  !  Slavery  is  abolished :  twenty 
millions  sterling  are  to  be  paid  to  the  planters ;  and  measures  are 
to  be  taken  for  the  education  of  the  liberated  slaves.  Every 
Englishman  may  find  his  taxes  increased  by  this  measure,  but 
England  will  lose  nothing  by  it.  The  whole  measure  is  a  noble 
union  of  religion,  philanthropy,  justice,  generosity,  and  modera- 
tion ;  and  I  feel  convinced  that  a  special  blessing  will  attend  the 
nation  which  has  effected  it. 

Saturday,  July  6.  Before  I  leave  Germany  I  wish  to  become 
better  acquainted  with  some  parts  of  the  literature  of  the  land, 
especially  the  poets.  Klopstock,  Schiller,  and  Goethe  I  already 
know  with  some  little  familiarity,  though  my  time  has  allowed 
me  to  cultivate  my  acquaintance  but  little.  Of  Herder  I  know 
less,  and  of  Lessing.  Claudius  I  know,  and  I  have  been  reading 
something  of  Novalis,  who  died  before  he  had  full  opportunity  to 
exhibit  to  the  world  his  very  extraordinary  genius.  His  hymns 
are  his  best  remains,  and  are  written  with  a  fire  and  beauty  which, 
if  more  poetical  and  mystical  than  tranquilly  spiritual,  yet  find 
their  way  to  the  religious  heart. 

Monday,  August  12.  .  .  .  We  separated  after  Fischbad  had 
expressed  our  common  feelings  in  prayer,  and  I  am  sure  there 
was  none  of  us  to  whom  the  hour  had  not  a  certain  holiness. 
Our  circle  has  been  long  united  at  Bonn  and  Berlin ;  we  have 
one  pursuit,  one  desire,  one  Head ;  and  we  do  not  cease  to  be 
united,  however  an  ocean  may  part  us. 

Thursday,  August  22.  Altona  and  the  grave  of  Klopstock. 
In  his  lifetime  the  poet  buried  here  his  first  wife,  the  Meta  of  his 
poetry,  who  died  in  childbed.  Above  he  placed  a  sculptured 
pair  of  sheaves,  inscribed  '  Sheaves  sown  by  God  for  the  harvest 
of  the  resurrection,'  and  at  the  bottom,  'Adore  Him  who  also 
died,  was  buried,  and  arose.'  When  he  died,  his  second  wife 
erected  to  him  a  similar  but  larger  stone,  with  the  same  sheaves 
inscribed  with  the  same  words,  and  with  a  noble  inscription  for 
the  poet,  mostly  his  own  words,  concluding  with  expressing  her 
own  adoration  of  'Him  who  also  died,  was  buried,  and  arose.' 
She  died  long  after  him,  and  the  third  and  most  modest  stone  is 
raised  to  her  with  the  same  sheaves,  the  same  inscription,  and 
the  same  call  to  adore  '  Him  who  also  died,  was  buried,  and 
arose.'     The  whole  is  sublimely  and  touchingly  poetical. 

Saturday,  August  31.  At  the  close  of  a  severe  gale.  I  thank 
God  I  was  enabled  to  regard  danger  and  death,  if  they  should 


AT  HOME.  47 

be  His  will,  with  a  confidence  and  hope  which  I  trust  are  the 
fruits  of  His  grace.  So  in  the  midst  of  storms  and  raging  waters, 
yet  under  the  protection  of  the  same  kind  Father  who  has  guided 
me  hitherto,  closed  the  twenty-eighth  month  of  my  absence  from 
home,  and  the  summer  of  1833. 

Thursday,  October  31.  This  day  I  am  twenty-four  years  old, 
and  have  completed  the  thirtieth  month  of  my  absence.  The 
last  year  has  been  one  of  most  abundant  cause  for  thankfulness 
to  God,  although  my  life  has  in  no  degree  corresponded  to  His 
goodness.  May  He  enable  me  to  live  during  the  ensuing  year, 
if  He  sees  fit  to  spare  me,  more  to  His  glory,  and  prepare  me, 
now  that  I  have  reached  such  an  age,  to  enter  His  more  imme- 
diate service  wnth  zeal  and  faithfulness;  and  may  these  passing 
months  and  years,  which  remind  me  of  the  close  of  my  earthly 
pilgrimage,  find  me  still  more  assimilated  to  the  glorious  king- 
dom of  the  Redeemer  !  I  think  too  of  Alexander,  and  solicit 
every  blessing  for  him,  especially  for  his  soul,  from  the  throne 
of  inexhaustible  grace.  How  dear  he  and  all  my  friends  are  to 
me  now ! 

Friday,  January  31,  Paris.  To-day  is  the  end  of  the  thirty- 
third  month  of  my  absence  from  home.  God  has  abundantly 
blessed  me  in  all  this  time,  and  I  have  very  ungratefully  repaid 
His  goodness.  I  esteem  it  one  of  my  greatest  blessings  that  I 
am  continually  reminded  how  uncertain  and  vain  is  my  expecta- 
tion of  many  days  to  come,  and  thus  my  weak  and  wicked  heart 
is  drawn  more  and  more  away  from  earth,  and  led  to  closer  de- 
pendence on  my  Saviour.  If  it  be  the  will  of  my  Heavenly 
Father,  may  I  soon  be  restored  to  my  dear  parents  and  friends  in 
health  and  peace;  nevertheless, 

'Oh  Lord,  my  God,  do  thou  thy  holy  will — 

I  will  be  still; 
I  will  not  stir,  lest  I  forsake  thine  arm, 

And  break  the  charm 
That  lulls  me,  clinging  to  my  Father's  breast, 

In  perfect  rest.' 

Thursday,  April  3,  New  York.  And  so  the  mercy  of  God  has 
restored  me  to  my  country  in  health  and  peace;  may  he  give 
me  a  truly  thankful  and  devoted  heart !" 

Mr.  Burgess'  European  journal  is  diversified  by  accounts  of 
numerous  excursions,  many  of  them  on  foot,  which  are  not  ex- 
tracted here.  No  attempt  has  been  made  to  record  all  the 
religious  utterances  found  on  every  Sunday  or  other  holy  day, 
and  on  every  anniversary.  Enough  have  been  given  to  show  the 
spirit  which  pervaded  at  this  time,  as  afterwards,  his  whole  life. 


48  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

VIII. 
DEVOTIONAL  HABITS. 

It  is  with  some  hesitation  that  the  most  private  habits  of  one 
so  remarkable  for  his  humility  and  modesty  as  Bishop  Burgess, 
are  laid  open  to  the  public  eye;  but  they  cannot  be  withheld,  for 
these  are  just  the  habits  which  can  be  copied  by  every  Christian. 
Perhaps  the  example  may  have  the  greater  influence,  because  he 
never  seemed  to  do  anything  for  the  mere  sake  of  setting  an  ex- 
ample ;  if  it  was  his  duty,  he  did  it,  and  left  the  example  to  take 
care  of  itself.  This  simplicity,  this  singleness  of  mind  made 
him  always  consistent,  though,  in  considering  a  particular  course 
of  conduct,  he  never  asked,  Is  it  consistent?  but  only.  Is  it  right? 
and  then,  perhaps.  Is  it  at  this  time,  or  under  these  circumstances, 
expedient  ? 

But  prayer  was  with  him  eminently  more  than  the  fulfilment  of 
a  duty :  it  was  a  delight  and  a  constant  source  of  comfort  and 
strength. 

It  would,  perhaps,  be  difficult  for  the  world  to  realize  that  a 
man,  so  constantly  occupied,  could  find  so  much  time  for  prayer 
as  he  found.  His  seasons  of  prayer  were  frequent  rather  than 
prolonged.  His  prayers  were  of  the  most  simple,  quiet,  unim- 
passioned  character ;  as  Doddridge's  prayers  have  been  described, 
' '  business-like. ' '  Or  rather  they  were  like  the  requests  of  a  child 
to  his  father;  of  a  child  who  is  in  earnest,  and  yet  willing  to 
accept  a  denial,  if  his  father  thinks  a  refusal  best  for  him.  He 
never  or  seldom  experienced  those  hours  of  ecstatic  communion 
with  God,  of  which  one  sometimes  reads,  and  which  are  so  dis- 
couraging to  ordinary,  common-place  Christians;  but  every  act  was 
sanctified  by  prayer.  He  never  left  his  study  to  attend  a  service, 
nor  returned  to  it  afterwards,  without  a  few  moments  of  prayer. 
If  he  were  going  on  a  journey,  he  knelt  for  a  minute,  in  company 
with  the  nearest  members  of  his  family,  to  ask  upon  it  a  blessing. 
When  first  rising  in  the  morning,  he  used  some  forms  of  prayer, 
generally  those  found  in  Jenks'  Devotions ;  then  followed  a  short 
period  of  silent,  private  supplication,  and  afterwards  one  chapter 


DEVOTIONAL  HABITS.  49 

in  the  Old  Testament  and  one  in  the  New,  were  read  before  leav- 
ing the  room.  Afterwards  came  family  prayers,  which  were  never 
omitted,  even  when  Roman  Catholic  servants  were  forbidden  to 
join  him  in  prayer,  and  the  family  consisted  only  of  the  two  who 
had  already  read  and  prayed  together. 

Of  his  more  private  seasons  of  devotion  he  seldom  spoke, 
though  he  never  concealed  them.  Indeed,  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble for  any  person  to  combine  more  perfectly  the  idea  of  secret 
prayer  with  an  entire  freedom  from  embarrassment  or  shame  re- 
specting its  existence.  He  obeyed  the  injunction  to  enter  into 
his  closet  and  shut  the  door;  but  he  did  not  bolt  and  bar  it,  lest 
he  should  be  discovered ;  and  when  he  has  seen  the  key  turned 
to  prevent  interruption,  he  has  given  a  gentle  reproof,  saying 
that  Christians  ought  not  to  be  ashamed  to  be  caught  on  their 
knees. 

On  one  or  two  occasions,  when  talking  freely  but  confidentially, 
he  mentioned  some  of  his  habits.  Three  times  every  day,  in 
his  private  morning  and  evening  devotions  and  at  noon,  he 
prayed  by  name  for  every  clergyman  and  candidate  for  orders 
in  the  Diocese.  About  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  gave  a 
few  minutes  to  meditation  and  prayer  for  humility  and  repent- 
ance; about  three  in  the  afternoon,  for  preparation  and  readiness 
to  die.  At  some  convenient  time,  in  the  early  part  of  the  even- 
ing, before  his  mind  was  too  much  wearied  by  the  labors  of  the 
day,  he  devoted  a  short  time  to  self-examination  and  prayer. 
Between  nine  and  ten  came  family  prayers,  and  towards  mid- 
night he  read  from  Jenks'  Devotions,  closing  again  with  more 
private  petitions.  On  Sunday,  before  going  to  the  morning 
service,  he  prayed  for  all  "spiritual  pastors,"  and  at  noon  for 
increase  of  love  to  God  and  charity  to  all  men.  On  occasions 
when  the  Holy  Communion  was  received,  he  used  special  prayers 
both  before  and  after  the  service,  and  at  some  early  hour  on 
Sunday  evenings  he  offered  a  variety  of  prayers  for  many  classes 
of  persons,  concluding  with  petitions  for  each  member  of  his 
own  family.  During  Lent,  his  devotional  exercises  were  some- 
what increased. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  his  plans  would  often  be  disturbed, 
perhaps  entirely  deranged  by  company ;  but  this  was  seldom  the 
4 


50  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

case.  A  caller  might  sometimes  oblige  him  to  postpone  his  re- 
tirement for  a  short  time,  but  if  the  visit  was  to  be  one  of  longer 
duration,  and  his  study  was  occupied,  he  would  quietly  place 
within  his  friend's  reach  a  newspaper,  or  leave  him  to  converse 
with  some  other  member  of  the  family,  and,  without  attracting 
attention,  even  by  an  apology,  slip  off  to  his  own  room  for  a  few 
minutes.  He  never  allowed  travelling  to  interfere  with  the  full 
discharge  of  these  duties.  Cars  never  left  so  early  in  the  morn- 
ing or  arrived  so  late  at  night  as  to  furnish  him  with  an  excuse  for 
omitting  his  regular  devotional  exercises;  and  when  compelled 
to  ride  all  day  in  a  crowded  stage,  he  has  said  to  his  travelling 
companion :  "I  would  not  have  you  think  that  I  have  passed  the 
day  without  prayer ;  I  have  tried  to  use  such  seasons  of  quiet  as 
were  afforded  me." 

The  public  fasts  established  by  the  church  were  openly  and 
thoroughly  observed  in  his  family,  even  after  his  failing  health 
might  have  furnished  some  reason  for  relaxation  ;  but  on  Fridays 
and  other  occasions,  when  he  may  have  considered  fasting  recom- 
mended rather  than  enjoined,  his  abstinence  Avas  such  that  he 
"appeared  not  unto  men  to  fast."  When  first  a  housekeeper, 
he  considered  the  question  how  far  it  was  best  to  distinguish  such 
days  by  some  change  in  the  arrangements  of  his  table ;  and  he 
decided  that  he  had  no  right,  at  such  times,  to  force  others  un- 
willingly to  fast ;  and  as  his  house  was  always  open  to  a  great 
variety  of  guests,  he  thought  it  better  to  make  no  alteration  in 
his  table,  but  to  deny  himself  in  the  quantity  rather  than  in  the 
quality  of  his  food. 

He  was  a  faithful  and  devout  reader  of  Holy  Scripture.  Upon 
his  study  table  and  his  bedroom  table,  there  always  lay  a  Bible, 
usually  open.  He  wore  out  several  pocket  Bibles.  Some  years 
ago  he  commenced  reading  the  Bible  at  intervals,  systematically, 
a  verse  at  a  time,  accompanied  by  meditation.  The  first  thing 
ill  the  morning,  the  last  thing  at  night,  he  took  up  a  verse  ;  each 
time  that  he  left  the  house  for  a  walk,  he  carried  one  with  him ; 
how  often  this  occurred  during  the  day,  it  would  be  impossible 
to  say.     This  habit  he  continued  to  the  last  of  his  life. 

Before  sleeping,  he  was  accustomed  to  repeat  Bishop  Ken's 


DEVOTIONAL  HABITS.  51 

Evening  Hymn,  ''Glory  to  Thee,  my  God,  this  night,"  and  in 
the  morning  the  156th  hymn  of  the  Prayer-Book, 

"  Father,  whate'er  of  earthly  bliss 
Thy  sovereign  will  denies." 

It  was  because  he  prayed  so  without  ceasing  that  it  was  said  of 
him,  "  His  devoutness  was  so  constant  that  we  can  hardly  think  of 
him  as  having  devotional  periods." 

In  addition  to  his  ordinary  seasons  of  devotion,  occasions  for 
extraordinary  prayers  were  never  forgotten.  The  beginning  and 
end  of  the  year ;  his  own  birthday ;  the  various  seasons  of  the  eccle- 
siastical year ;  each  in  its  turn  was  made  a  season  for  special  and 
appropriate  prayers.  For  many  years  it  was  his  practice  on  each 
birthday  to  write  a  prayer,  followed  by  resolutions  for  the  coming 
year. 

An  example  is  here  given,  the  earliest  in  date,  which  he  had 
framed. 

Oct.  31,  1831. 

"O  Almighty  Father,  my  Creator,  Preserver,  Benefactor, 
Redeemer  and  Sanctifier,  at  the  close  of  another  year  of  my  short 
life  I  appear  before  thee,  to  praise  and  bless  thee  for  the  mercies 
of  the  past  year,  to  confess  my  grievous  sinfulness  in  thy  holy 
sight,  and  to  implore  thy  continued  goodness  during  the  succeed- 
ing period  which  thou  shalt  see  fit  to  grant  me  upon  earth.  Sanc- 
tify, I  pray  thee,  and  solemnize  my  heart ;  make  it  thankful, 
humble,  obedient,  and  resigned  :  and  may  my  present  offering  be 
accepted  with  thee,  for  the  sake  of  thy  Son  Jesus  Christ,  our  only 
Saviour  and  Mediator. 

When  I  look  back,  O  Lord,  upon  the  course  of  my  life,  what 
benefit  is  it  possible  for  man  to  receive  which  thou  hast  not 
bestowed  upon  me  ?  Health,  which  was  never  taken  away  except 
for  my  spiritual  good ;  friends  for  whose  kindness,  example,  and 
prayers,  I  have  continual  cause  to  praise  thee  ;  liberty,  peace, 
competence,  education ;  the  calls  and  warnings  of  thy  providence, 
the  means  of  grace,  the  invitations,  and,  I  hope,  the  prevailing 
motions  of  thy  Spirit ;  all  hast  thou  given  to  me,  notwithstanding 
the  hourly  provocations  of  which  I  have  been  guilty.  During 
the  past  year  have  I  also  experienced  the  abundance  of  thy  good- 
ness. My  life,  so  often  threatened,  thou  hast  still  preserved, 
giving  me  time  and  space  for  repentance  and  thy  service.  Sepa- 
rated from  my  friends,  thou  hast  guarded  me  across  the  ocean, 
and  through  difficult  regions,  giving  me  opportunities  of  instruc- 


52  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

tion  and  enjoyment  which  many  desire  in  vain,  and,  so  far  as  I 
yet  know,  thou  hast  kept  those  who  are  near  and  dear  to  me,  in 
peace  and  safety.  Thou  hast  permitted  me  to  continue  those 
studies  which  I  trust,  if  thou  shalt  see  fit  to  spare  me,  may  be 
directed  to  thy  glory.  Thou  hast  called  me  by  thy  grace,  hard 
as  my  heart  has  been,  to  greater  holiness  and  a  renewed  walking  in 
thy  fear  and  love ;  and  by  continually  repeated  warnings,  hast 
made  me  to  feel  my  frailty  and  the  vanity  of  earthly  things.  O 
heavenly  Father,  give  me,  I  beseech  thee,  a  thankful  heart,  de- 
voted to  thy  praise  and  service,  and  anxious  above  all  things  to 
do  thy  holy  will,  and  to  grow  in  knowledge  and  grace. 

I  confess,  most  gracious  God,  my  sin  and  unthankfulness,  and 
that  I  have  been  so  far  from  deserving  the  least  of  thy  mercies, 
that  most  justly  mightest  thou  take  them  all  from  me,  and  cut  me 
off  as  a  cumberer  of  thy  ground.  Another  year  has  fled,  and  I 
am  so  much  nearer  to  the  grave ;  but  how  little  does  my  progress 
towards  heaven  appear.  Alas  !  I  have  been  cold,  exceedingly 
cold,  in  my  affections  towards  thee,  who  art  the  worthiest  of  all 
love,  and  have  suffered  my  heart  to  be  taken  up  with  worldly 
things,  forsaking  the  fountain  of  all  living  waters  to  hew  to 
myself  the  broken  cisterns  that  can  hold  no  water.  I  have  had 
murmuring  and  rebellious  thoughts  of  thee,  whose  dispensations, 
like  thy  law,  are  all  holy  and  just  anci  good.  I  have  felt  prayer  as  a 
burdensome  duty,  not  as  a  delightful  privilege,  and  have  preferred 
to  it  the  transitory  enjoyments  of  this  world.  I  have  been  very 
cold  and  indifferent  in  thy  public  service,  too  little  valuing  the 
ordinances  from  which  I  am  now  separated,  and  too  little  inclined 
to  those  in  which  I  am  now  permitted  to  join.  I  have  been 
unfaithful  and  unkind  to  my  dear  relations,  while  I  was  yet  in 
their  society.  I  have  been  uncharitable  and  proud  towards  my 
fellow  men,  and  cared  too  little  for  their  souls ;  especially  have 
I  failed  in  my  duty  towards  the  children  who  were  formerly 
committed  in  part  to  my  religious  instruction ;  nor  have  I  taken 
such  interest  as  I  ought  in  the  means  adopted  for  the  conversion 
of  my  fellow-sinners.  I  have  loved  too  much  the  pleasures  of 
the  world,  which  so  draw  away  the  heart  from  God.  I  have 
been  too  fond  of  the  riches  of  this  earth,  not  valuing  enotigh  the 
treasures  in  heaven,  nor  feeling  enough  for  the  poor  and  dis- 
tressed. I  have  not  governed  my  tongue  as  I  ought,  nor  re- 
strained it  from  unprofitable,  uncharitable,  and  mischievous  dis- 
course, nor  spoken,  when  I  should,  to  thy  glory  and  the  good 
of  souls.  I  have  been  negligent  of  what  concerned  my  present 
duty,  not  improving  the  precious  time  according  to  its  value.  I 
have  looked  too  much  at,  and  for  happiness  in  this  life,  and  with- 
out reference  to  thee,  without  whom  there  is  no  true  happiness. 

O  Lord  my  God,  forgive  me  all  this  my  sin,  for  the  sake  of 


BIR  THDA  V  PR  A  ]  'ER.  5  3 

thy  Son  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  borne  our  sins  and  fully  satisfied 
thy  divine  justice.  Without  thy  grace,  I  feel  that  I  can  do 
nothing  that  is  good  :  O,  give  me  such  sincere  contrition  for  what 
is  past,  such  faith  in  thy  mercy,  and  such  love  to  thee  as  shall  mani- 
fest in  me  the  fruits  of  thy  spirit.  Let  me  constantly  feel  a  deep 
and  truly  humble  sense  of  my  unworthiness,  and  adore  thee  for 
thy  unspeakable  condescension,  long-suffering  and  loving  kindness. 
May  my  heart  be  supremely  devoted  to  thee,  entirely  resigned  to 
thy  holy  pleasure,  and  rejoicing  to  do  thy  will ;  and  oh,  enable 
me  from  henceforth  so  to  live  as  shall  more  glorify  thee,  more 
satisfy  my  conscience,  and  give  me  more  evidence  that  I  am  indeed 
a  child  of  God  and  a  partaker  of  thy  grace.  May  I  delight  in 
prayer  to  thee,  in  holy  exercises  of  heart,  and  in  all  that  shall 
prepare  me  for  the  joys  of  thy  heavenly  kingdom,  that  I  may 
have  not  only  the  form,  but  the  power  of  godliness.  May  I  be 
diligent  to  discharge  every  duty  as  it  arises,  anxious  to  do  good 
to  others,  and  content  with  whatever  thou  seest  fit  to  appoint ; 
committing  all  my  cares  to  thee,  thankful  for  all  temporal  bless- 
ings, not  solicitous  for  future  wealth,  but  loving  the  treasures  at 
thy  right  hand,  and  striving  to  increase  the  happiness  and  save 
the  souls  of  others ;  ever  pitiful,  charitable,  meek,  and  forgiving ; 
ever  remembering  that  life  is  hastening  to  its  close,  that  I  must 
render  an  account ;  and  holding  myself  in  such  a  temper  in  re- 
gard to  all  earthly  enjoyments  that  I  may  always  be  ready  to 
leave  them.  May  I  always  feel  those  vows  of  God  that  now, 
for  three  years,  are  upon  me ;  and  may  I  diligently  labor  to  pre- 
pare myself  for  the  sacred  calling  to  which  I  have  esteemed  it 
my  duty  to  devote  myself:  and  ever  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God 
my  Saviour  in  all  things.  Make  me  faithful  in  speaking  to  thy 
glory,  fearing  no  shame  or  ridicule  in  thy  cause.  Keep  me  from 
all  covetousness  and  envy.  Grant  me  grace  to  keep  the  good 
resolutions  which  thou  shalt  put  into  my  mind  ;  to  exercise  Chris- 
tian self-denial,  to  keep  my  body  in  subjection,  and  to  grow 
wiser  and  better  as  long  as  thou  continuest  me  in  life. 

Another  year  is  now  begun :  with  thee  are  the  issues  of  life, 
and  thou  knowest  whether  I  shall  be  spared  to  its  close,  or  taken 
away  before  the  arrival  of  another  birthday.  Lord,  give  me  an 
heart  to  say,  not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done;  and  to  rejoice  in 
hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  If  I  live,  may  I  live  in  thy  faith 
and  fear;  and  if  I  die,  whether  suddenly  or  by  lingering  disease, 
may  I  be  found  with  my  loins  girded  about,  and  my  lamp 
trimmed  and  burning.  O  Lord,  search  me  and  try  me,  that  I 
may  not  be  found  wanting ;  correct  me  in  whatever  thou  seest 
amiss  ;  let  not  my  vile  heart  harden  itself  against  thy  holy  motions  ; 
but  may  thy  grace  triumph  in  me,  that  I  may  not  come  short  of 


54  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

that  heavenly  inheritance  which  my  blessed  Saviour  has  bought 
for  me. 

Look,  also,  I  pray  thee,  O  Lord,  in  unspeakable  mercy,  upon 
my  dear  youngest  brother,  of  whose  birth  this  is  likewise  the 
anniversary.  Protect  him  from  all  dangers,  and  especially  from 
the  spiritual  dangers  to  which  his  youth  is  exposed.  Renew  and 
sanctify  his  heart;  fill  it  with  the  fear  and  love  of  thy  holy 
name;  bless  him  in  his  studies;  spare  him  through  the  ensu- 
ing year,  if  consistent  with  thy  will,  and  prepare  him  to  be  a 
comfort  to  his  friends,  and  an  instrument  of  thy  glory ;  but  oh, 
prepare  him  to  die;  if  young,  in  the  bloom  of  youthful  piety; 
if  older,  after  a  life  spent  in  some  good  measure  in  thy  service. 

Bless  my  beloved  and  honored  parents ;  all  my  dear  brothers 
and  sisters;  my  relations  and  friends;  conduct  us  all  in  peace 
and  holiness  through  this  pilgrimage  of  life :  in  every  scene  let 
our  hearts  be  with  thee ;  and  finally,  of  thy  rich  mercy,  receive 
us  to  thyself,  to  love  and  serve  thee  perfectly  and  forever,  and 
forever  to  ascribe  all  the  glory  of  our  salvation  to  thee,  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen. 

Resolutions  for  the  etisuing year.      Oct.  31,  1831. 

1.  To  live,  through  the  grace  of  God,  in  constant  preparation 
to  die. 

2.  To  think  much  of  heaven,  that  I  may  look  rightly  upon  all 
that  belongs  to  this  life. 

3.  To  labor,  that  my  heart,  with  God's  help,  may  not  be  drawn 
away  from  Him  by  anything  which  I  see. 

4.  To  be  charitable,  and  to  use  rightly  the  competence  which 
is  allowed  me. 

5.  To  prepare  for  the  sacred  office  with  diligence  and  a  right 
sense  of  its  solemn  duties  and  responsibility. 

6.  To  pray,  through  the  divine  grace,  fervently  and  constantly. 

7.  To  improve  my  opportunities  of  information. 

8.  To  be  industrious  and  dedicate  all  my  acquisitions  and  works 
to  God. 

9.  To  endeavor  to  attain  such  experimental  acquaintance  with 
the  truth,  that  I  may  never  be  turned  from  it. 

10.  To  love  the  servants  of  God  wherever  I  find  them. 

These  resolutions  I  pray  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  keep,  through 
the  Holy  Spirit,  in  whose  strength  alone  may  I  trust.     Amen." 

It  was  his  custom  to  record  in  a  Diary,  in  few  words,  parish 
duties  performed,  letters  received  or  written,  and  events  of  the 
day.     Often  will   be  found  among  briefest  notes  a  few  devout 


HABITS  OF  PR  A  YER.  55 

words,  or  the  first  line  of  some  hymn  or  a  verse  of  Scripture, 
selected  for  the  day's  meditation. 
These  are  a  few  instances: — 

"  Jan.  ist,  1854.  Prayed  earnestly  for  grace  to  serve  God  more 
cheerfully  and  faithfully  through  all  my  coming  days. 

Dec.  31st,  1857.  The  year  closes  with  many  blessings.  Give 
me,  O  God,  a  more  feeling  heart,  full  of  thanks  and  humility. 

Oct.  31st,  1858.  My  birthday  and  my  dear  brother's,  and  the 
anniversary  of  my  consecration.  A  day  of  cheerful  prayer  and 
of  humiliation;  as  well,  I  trust,  as  of  strength  and  gain. 

Jan.  ist,  i860.  May  the  blessing  of  my  gracious  Lord  be  with 
me  and  all  mine  in  this  new  year,  forgiving,  protecting  and  pre- 
serving us  to  eternal  life  ! 

Oct.  31,  1865.  My  birthday,  far  from  home,  but  not  without 
prayer  and  communion  with  the  gracious  Lord  of  life,  in  whose 
hands  are  the  issues  of  mine. 

Dec.  31st,  1865.  (The  day  on  which  he  reached  Havana.)  It 
was  the  close  of  the  year  as  well  as  of  our  voyage,  and  for  me 
there  was  everything  to  stir  up  my  heart  to  repentance,  prayer, 
and  trust,  as  well  as  to  thanksgiving." 

His  devout  frame  of  mind  was  so  habitual  that  it  appeared  to 
cost  him  no  effort  to  lift  up  his  heart  to  God  at  any  moment,  to 
turn  to  prayer  from  any  occupation.  To  an  afflicted  friend,  he 
said,  "I  will  pray  for  you,"  not  whenever  I  say  my  prayers,  but 
"whenever  I  think  of  you."  And  she  never  doubted  that  he 
did  send  up  to  heaven  a  supplication  for  her  whenever  her  trials 
recurred  to  his  mind. 

At  one  period,  he  felt  great  anxiety  about  a  friend  who  had 
gone  astray  and  had  rejected  all  his  efforts  toward  return  to  godli- 
ness. At  length,  after  years  of  separation,  he  received  a  letter 
from  him  telling  him  all  that  he  most  wished  to  hear.  As  he 
read  it,  he  said  with  emotion:  "For  this  I  have  prayed  every 
day  for  ten  years."  Well  may  those  who  are  left  behind  mourn 
his  loss. 

"  For  where  he  resteth,  evermore  one  constant  song  they  raise 
Of  'holy,  holy,'  so  that  tiow  we  know  not  if  he  prays." 

A  few  incidents  and  facts  furnished  by  a  member  of  the  family 
will  serve  still  further  to  illustrate  his  heavenly  habit  of  mind. 


56  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

his  reverence  for  holy  things,  and  his  desire  that  all  which  was 
done  in  the  church  should  be  done  devoutly  and  fitly. 

One  snowy  day  when  for  some  reason  there  was  service  in  the 
church,  two  of  the  family  going  rather  early  happened  to  be  the 
only  persons  there  for  a  short  time.  As  they  stood  by  the  regis- 
ter, and  the  Bishop  passed  them  on  his  way  to  the  vestry-room, 
one  of  them  said  to  him,  "There  will  be  no  one  here  but  us  and 
the  sexton."  "Yes,"  he  answered,  "there  will  be  One  more," 
and  from  his  tone  they  could  not  but  know  that  he  was  thinking 
of  Him  who  promised  to  be  present  where  two  or  three  only 
were  gathered  together  in  His  name. 

When  a  lady  said  how  glad  she  was  to  have  a  pleasant  Sunday, 
he  replied,  "Yes,  it  seems  to  speak  to  us  of  a  better  world." 

Once,  when  some  books  had  been  carelessly  laid  on  a  Bible, 
he  removed  them,  saying,  "Never  put  any  books  on  the  Bible; 
that  is  one  of  my  old  superstitions." 

He  would  neither  listen  to  a  story  which  connected  a  ludicrous 
association  with  a  passage  of  Scripture,  nor  repeat  it.  He  charged 
a  clergyman,  who  was  superintending  the  erection  of  a  new 
church,  to  see  that  the  kneeling  facilities  in  the  pews  might  be 
such  as  to  leave  no  excuse  for  the  unseemly  custom  of  kneeling 
to  the  seat,  with  back  or  side  to  the  Holy  Table ;  and  also  that 
the  wardens  should  be  reminded  never  to  count  a  collection 
within  the  chancel,  and  especially  not  upon  the  altar. 

He  cautioned  those  over  whom  he  had  influence  never  to 
leave  the  vestry-room  to  perform  divine  service  without  first 
ascertaining  that  their  vestments  were  properly  arranged.  And 
to  a  young  clergyman  who  came  to  his  study  in  Hartford  dressed 
in  a  coarse,  brown  linen  coat,  he  said,  "Now  that  you  are  ad- 
mitted to  Holy  Orders,  I  wish  you  would  always  dress  like  a 
clergyman."  A  lay  reader  selected  a  sermon  written  by  one 
who  had  been  deposed  from  the  ministry  for  causes  affecting  his 
moral  character.  He  did  not  know  the  fact,  but  when  he  sub- 
mitted his  choice  to  Mr.  Burgess  for  his  approval,  he  said,  "You 
must  not  read  this  sermon  to  a  congregation,  for  no  man  who 
has  been  so  displaced  from  the  ministry  should  ever  be  heard  in 
the  church  afterwards." 

The  following  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  George  W.  Durell, 


HABITS  OF  PRAYER.  57 

for  sixteen  years  of  his  Episcopate  a  Deacon  and  Presbyter  in 
his  diocese,  and  ordained  by  him  to  both  orders,  may  form  a 
fitting  conclusion  to  this  section. 

"On  the  14th  of  June,  1859,  when  at  Calais,  I  was  requested 
by  Bishop  Burgess  to  go  to  Houlton  and  make  such  arrangements 
as  I  could  for  the  celebration  of  our  services  on  the  following 
Sunday,  and  he,  going  by  the  way  of  Bangor,  would  meet  me 
there  on  Thursday.  Houlton  is  the  shire-town  of  a  vast 
county  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Maine,  a  place  beautiful  for 
situation,  and  of  growing  importance.  Though  the  journey 
thither  was  ninety  miles  by  an  open  stage,  and  a  large  part  of 
the  way  through  an  unbroken  forest,  it  was  undertaken  with 
special  pleasure,  for  it  was  to  reward  me- with  a  Aveek  of  such 
close  intimacy  with  my  dear  Bishop  as  would  enable  me  to  know 
more  of  his  daily  life,  and  particularly  what  were  his  habits  of 
private  devotion.  This  reward  was  more  ample  than  I  had  ex- 
pected, and  I  shall  cherish  with  gratitude  the  delightful  recollec- 
tions of  that  week,  for  then  there  were  many  new  traits  of  his 
character  revealed  to  me  which  increased  my  admiration  for  him 
as  truly  a  great  man ;  and  then  I  learned  the  secret  of  much  of 
his  power  to  persuade,  convince,  and  move  men. 

At  the  time  appointed,  the  stage,  crowded  with  pioneers, 
brought  the  Bishop.  I  was  struck  with  the  marked  and  kindly 
deference  which  these  rough  men  showed  him.  I  afterwards 
found  that  during  the  early  part  of  the  journey  with  them  the 
Bishop  had  so  rebuked  their  profanity,  that  they  all  expressed 
their  regret  for  such  rudeness  in  his  presence,  and  for  this  sin, 
as  they  frankly  acknowledged  it  to  be.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  say  the  offence  was  not  repeated. 

Several  of  the  more  prominent  gentlemen  of  the  place  called 
upon  the  Bishop,  of  whom  they  all  seemed  to  have  heard  much. 
Among  them  some  were  Roman  Catholics,  and  some  Unitarians ; 
and  here,  as  well  as  afterwards  at  their  houses,  I  was  impressed 
with  his  easy  bearing,  and  free,  pleasant  conversation,  showing 
the  cultivated  Christian  gentleman. 

When  I  reached  Houlton,  I  was  shown  to  an  excellent  and 
well-furnished  room,  as  I  suspected  at  the  time,  the  best  which 
the  inn  afforded.  The  next  day,  upon  the  arrival  of  the  Bishop, 
he  was  conducted  to  one  far  inferior,  but  he  positively  refused  to 
exchange.  His  own  proposal  to  share  with  me  the  more  con- 
venient room  was  gladly  accepted. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Street,  the  courteous  and  successful  Rector  of 
Woodstock,  New  Brunswick,  had  kindly  come  to  meet  the  Bishop 
and  to  assist  in  the  Sunday  duties.  It  was  late  when  we  separated 
for  the  night,  and  on  coming  to  our  room  the  Bishop  said,  '  Let 


58  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

US  have  family  prayers. '  I  read  the  Lessons  for  the  Day  at  his 
request,  and  he  read  the  prayers  appointed  to  be  read  in  families, 
with  no  variation  whatever  in  the  form  except  to  add,  '  continue 
thy  gracious  protection  to  us  and  ours  this  night.'  He  had  often 
spoken  to  me  of  his  great  and  constantly  increasing  fondness  un- 
der all  circumstances  for  prescribed  forms  of  prayer,  but  more 
especially  for  those  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

When  about  to  retire,  he  took  a  manual  of  private  devotions, 
and,  kneeling  down,  he  read  for  some  minutes,  then  closing  the 
book,  he  remained  a  long  time  in  prayer.  Again,  he  opened  the 
book,  and  again  he  communed  with  his  God,  and  this  act  of  de- 
votion was  continued  about  an  hour.  When  I  awoke  a  little  after 
daylight,  I  saw  the  holy  Bishop  kneeling  in  the  same  spot  and 
engaged  in  the  same  duties.  Such,  I  found,  were  his  habits  of 
daily  devotion.  And  afterwards,  as  my  guest,  when  he  was  heard 
in  his  chamber  long  after  others  slept,  and  in  the  morning  long 
before  others  rose,  we  needed  none  to  tell  us  why  he  denied 
himself  bodily  rest.  We  no  longer  wondered  that  men,  as  he 
walked  the  streets,  should  pause  to  look  upon  the  saintly  expres- 
sion of  his  face.  It  was  the  fair  index  of  a  character  formed  by 
such  habits  of  self-watchfulness  and  personal  devotion  as  are 
rare  in  any  age." 


IX. 

ADMISSION  TO  HOLY  ORDERS. 

Returning  home  from  Europe,  the  scene  of  much  of  his  pre- 
paration for  the  ministry,  in  April,  1834,  Mr.  Burgess  received 
Deacon's  Orders  in  Grace  Church,  Providence,  on  the  tenth  of 
June,  at  the  hands  of  Bishop  Griswold.  On  the  following  Sunday, 
June  15,  he  preached  his  first  sermon,  in  the  same  Church,  from 
Romans  vi.  23  :  "The  wages  of  sin  is  death."  Though  detached 
passages  can  convey  but  an  imperfect  idea  of  a  sermon,  a  few  ex- 
tracts will  be  given  to  show  something  of  the  spirit  and  the  style 
of  the  young  preacher. 

"  How  variously  the  law  of  God  is  imparted  to  mankind.  It 
is  not  merely  written  in  the  precepts  of  the  New  Testament;  it 
was  not  only  expounded  by  our  Saviour  on  the  mount ;  not  only 
uttered  midst  lightnings  and  thunders  from  the  thick  darkness 
that  enveloped  the  brow  of  Mount  Sinai ;  it  has  been  written  in 


THE  FIRST  SERMON.  59 

the  pages  of  every  moralist  that  ever  wrote;  written,  though  often 
amidst  many  errors  and  corruptions,  yet  written  in  the  instruc- 
tions of  philosophers,  of  teachers,  and  even  of  the  founders  of 
false  religions ;  written  in  the  laws  of  every  land  ;  written  in  the 
memory  of  successive  generations,  and  handed  down  from  father 
to  son  since  the  beginning  of  the  world ;  written  on  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  ;  written  in  the  sympathies  and  affections,  and  sense 
of  truth  and  justice  which  are  alive  in  all  of  us  ;  written  in  the 
breast  of  every  human  being  in  every  land  and  every  age,  who 
has  not  wanted  the  universal  gifts  of  reason  and  of  con- 
science."    

"  From  the  internal  dispositions  spring  up  the  external  fruits; 
ingratitude  to  God  goes  on  to  forgetfulness  of  his  presence,  re- 
bellion against  his  will,  contempt  of  his  word,  impiety,  blas- 
phemy, atheism ;  indifference  towards  our  brethren  grows  up, 
under  the  excitement  of  circumstances,  into  wrath,  hatred,  malice, 
murder ;  carelessness  of  the  truth  becomes,  in  a  little  while,  flat- 
tery, deceit,  slander,  falsehood,  perjury;  devotion  to  our  own 
advancement,  with  little  regard  to  the  means,  begets  envy,  con- 
spiracy, sedition,  treason ;  the  love  of  money  passes  into  avarice, 
meanness,  extortion,  theft,  plunder  ;  the  pursuit  of  sensual  enjoy- 
ment into  luxury,  drunkenness,  lasciviousness,  fornication,  adul- 
tery, seduction.  'When  lust  has  conceived,'  says  St.  James, 
'  it  bringeth  forth  sin  ;  and  sin,  when  it  is  finished,  bringeth 
forth  death.'  "   .    .    .    . 

"  'The  wages  of  sin  is  death.'  That  death,  in  the  sense  in 
which  the  Scriptures  thus  speak  of  it,  is  more  than  the  dissolution 
of  the  body,  is  evident  because  it  is  always  contrasted  with  the 
life  which  the  Saviour  imparts  to  those  who  believe  in  him  ;  and 
yet  none  of  these  is  exempted  from  the  dissolution  of  the  body. 
But  as  the  life  which  the  Christian  receives  is  more  than  mere 
existence,  is  the  perfection  of  his  capacities,  the  enlargement  of 
his  sphere,  the  purification  of  his  moral  powers,  in  a  word,  is 
the  only  true  life,  the  life  in  God,  so  the  death  of  the  impenitent 
is  more  than  mere  corporeal  extinction,  is  the  opposite  of  all  that 
more  exalted  life  of  the  spirit,  is  entire  exclusion  from  the  only 
source  of  perfection  and  felicity.  Before  the  fall,  it  was  distinctly 
declared  to  the  father  of  mankind,  '  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest 
of  the  fruit  of  the  tree,  thou  shalt  surely  die.'  He  ate,  and 
died ;  and  the  spiritual  death  which  then  fell  upon  him  and  his 
race  may  enable  us  so  far  to  conceive  of  the  horror  of  eternal 
death,  as  to  value  and  to  lay  hold  upon  the  sure  hope  of  deliver- 
ance. Imagine  that  no  promise  of  redemption  had  intervened  ; 
that  no  chosen  people  had  been  preserved  ;  that  no  voice  of  God 
had  spoken  in  the  soul  of  man ;  but  conscience  too  had  died  or 
lived  only  to  torment ;  that  no  message  had  passed  from  above 


6o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

to  the  forsaken  race  ;  that  even  the  sentiment  of  religion  or  of 
superstition,  which  seemed  still  to  link  the  Pagans  with  a  higher 
world,  had  been  utterly  extinguished;  that  the  passions,  appetites, 
and  lusts  of  men  had  been  let  loose  without  a  single  rein  ; 
that  one  great  principle  of  sordid,  grovelling,  hateful  selfishness 
had  been  the  governing  spring  of  all  human  conduct ;  and  that  all 
this  had  been  without  a  prospect,  without  a  hope,  without  a  wish 
after  restoration  to  holiness  and  to  God  ;  this  would  have  been 
the  spiritual  death  without  mitigation."   .... 

"  Gladly  would  every  Christian,  if  submission  to  the  will  of  the 
Most  High  allowed,  seek  for  some  ground  of  confidence  that  the 
impenitent  soul  might  at  last  be  rescued  ;  most  gladly  would  we 
find  some  declaration  of  the  word  of  God,  which,  without  en- 
couraging the  sinner  here,  might  lead  us  to  believe  that  he  may 
hereafter  be  admitted  to  a  saving  faith  in  Jesus  Christ ;  but  the 
truth  cannot  be  disguised,  and  must  not  be  shunned  ;  the  Scrip- 
tures contain  no  such  declaration ;  they  warrant  no  such  confi- 
dence ;  they  speak,  in  respect  to  those  who  die  in  unbelief,  but 
of  everlasting  condemnation,  of  a  worm  that  dieth  not  and  a  fire 
that  is  not  quenched  ;  they  know  of  no  future  work  of  redemp- 
tion."  .... 

"The  Scriptural  representations  of  the  happiness  of  heaven 
render  certain  little  beside  its  spiritual  and  moral  nature.  Those 
of  the  Apocalypse  are,  like  the  descriptions  of  that  book,  poetical 
and  figurative  in  the  very  highest  degree.  Those  of  the  other 
writings  of  St.  John  are  simple,  but  abstract  and  spiritual. 
Those  of  St.  Paul  give  us  clearer  images,  but  still  little  more  than 
images.  Those  of  the  Saviour  himself  are  clearest  of  all,  but 
they  reveal  not  what  would  gratify  a  needless  curiosity,  but  what 
should  determine  our  choice  and  animate  our  zeal."   .... 

"■  Believe  then  not,  my  brethren,  the  horrible  suggestions  of 
the  enemy  of  man,  or  of  the  deep,  deep  corruption  within  us, 
that  God  is  severe  and  cruel,  that  He  is  the  object  of  fear,  and 
not  of  love ;  that  His  service  is  a  dark  and  gloomy  and  austere 
succession  of  compelled  submissions ;  that  He  has  decreed  capri- 
ciously and  will  execute  unrelentingly:  believe  them  not,  for,  on 
the  faith  of  the  word  of  God,  they  are  not  true.  Turn  to  that 
clear,  that  blessed  saying  of  your  Redeemer,  yes,  your  Redeemer, 
the  Redeemer  of  you  all ;  the  best  has  as  real  need  of  Him  as  the 
worst;  for  the  worst  He  died,  as  well  as  for  the  best ;  turn  to  that 
saying  of  His  which  should  annihilate  all  such  suggestions :  '  God 
sent  not  His  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world  ;  but  that 
the  world  through  Him  might  be  saved.'  If  He  so  provided  a 
way  of  acceptance.  He  must  accept ;  if  He  loved  the  obstinate 
sinner.  He  must  love  the  returning  penitent.  He  does,  my 
brethren ;  and  let  it  not  be  altogether  in  vain  that  the  message  of 


FIRST  SERMON  IN  HA R  TFORD.  6  r 

His  love  has  been  now  declared:  'the  wages  of  sin  is  death;  but 
the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.'  " 

Soon  after  his  ordination,  Mr.  Burgess  received  an  invitation  to 
take  charge  of  St.  James'  Church,  New  London,  Connecticut,  and 
before  giving  his  answer  he  went  to  Hartford  to  consult  Bishop 
Brownell.  Bishop  Brownell  having  at  that  time  the  charge  of 
Christ  Church  during  a  vacancy,  detained  him  to  assist  him  on 
the  following  Sunday,  July  20,  when  he  preached  from  Revela- 
tion xxii.  17  :  "And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say.  Come.  And 
let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come. 
And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  A 
few  extracts  from  his  first  sermon  to  the  congregation,  to  whom  he 
ministered  thirteen  years,  will  not  be  read  without  interest. 

"  Before  the  close  of  the  word  of  God,  one  passage  intervenes. 
It  is  not  a  condemnation  of  the  guilty  to  despair ;  it  is  not  an 
exclusion  of  the  unworthy  from  the  paradise  of  God ;  it  is  not  a 
suggestion  of  difficulties  to  be  surmounted ;  it  is  not  a  declaration 
that  there  are  few  that  be  saved  ;  it  is  an  invitation,  an  invitation 
to  the  eternal  city  and  to  the  river  of  life  ;  an  invitation  without  a 
limit ;  an  invitation  from  the  highest  and  holiest  sources,  given  in 
charge  to  every  messenger,  and  sent,  as  it  were,  on  every  wind, 
and  addressed  to  all  that  hear,  and  to  all  that  will.  With  nothing 
else  could  the  Scriptures  close,  but  with  the  fullest,  broadest, 
loudest  invitation  of  grace  and  love."   .... 

"  The  first  bearer  of  the  invitation  of  whom  the  text  speaks  is 
the  Spirit,  evidently,  the  divine  and  Holy  Comforter.  His  office 
is  to  convince  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment, 
and,  when  he  has  thus  prepared  the  heart  for  the  reception  of  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation,  then  to  pour  into  it  all  the  riches  of 
grace  and  consolation  and  spiritual  communion  with  the  Father 
and  the  Son."  ....  "When,  therefore,  in  the  still  worldly 
and  unbelieving,  something  appears,  however  faint,  yet  arousing 
or  alluring  to  the  purity  of  vital  religion,  this  we  must  judge  to  be 
the  call  of  the  Spirit.  When,  in  the  hours  of  silent  reflection, 
the  inquiries.  What  am  I,  and  Whither  am  I  tending,  force  them- 
selves upon  us ;  when  some  awakening  dispensation  reminds  us 
with  a  voice  of  thunder  that  we  are  living  on  the  verge  of  death, 
and  living  for  hell  or  heaven ;  when  some  distinguished  deliver- 
ance or  unexpected  mercy  makes  it  impossible  not  to  cry  out : 
'What  shall  I  render  to  the  Lord  for  all  His  benefits?'  the  deep 
feeling  that  we  might  be,  should  be,  and  may  be  heirs  of  a  nobler 
and  more  perfect  happiness  than  we  now  possess,  comes  to  us 


62  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

almost  like  a  recollection  of  Paradise ;  when  the  sense  of  a 
separation  from  God  is  made  painful  and  oppressive  to  our  souls; 
when,  after  vicious  indulgence  and  gratified  folly,  follows  the  bit- 
ter draught  of  remorse ;  when  we  sit  and  tremble  under  the  pow- 
erful enforcement  of  the  word  of  God,  and  fain  would  escape  to 
our  hiding-places  of  lies,  and  yet  find  it  there  pressing  upon  us; 
when,  even  while  we  hate  and  resist  the  truth,  we  still  are  com- 
pelled to  feel  that  it  is  the  truth ;  in  all  this,  though  we  know  not 
whence  the  wind  of  divine  grace  cometh,  or  whither  it  goeth, 
yet  we  may  hear  its  whisperings  or  its  rushings.  It  is  the  Spirit 
calling  us  to  come. 

Conjoined  with  the  Holy  Comforter  in  this  blessed  act  of  in- 
vitation appears  the  Bride,  the  Church  of  Christ,  whom  the  Scrip- 
tures beautifully  represent  as  united  to  her  Lord  in  an  affection 
and  a  sacredness  like  those  of  a  marriage.  The  ordinances  and 
communion  of  the  Church  were  instituted  and  have  been  pre- 
served not  merely  for  the  comfort,  support,  and  edification  of 
such  as  were  already  its  spiritual  members,  but  also  that  it  might 
shine  forth  in  the  world,  a  city  not  to  be  hid,  and  by  good  works, 
and  solemn  rites,  and  lasting  institutions,  spread  abroad  the  call 
of  the  Redeemer." 

"Infant  Baptism,  at  the  very  threshold  of  existence,  calls 
alike  the  child,  the  parent,  and  all  who  see  and  hear,  to  the 
water  of  life.  Religious  instruction  in  youth,  whether  it  be 
by  the  catechism,  the  Sunday  School,  or  otherwise,  whether 
through  the  pastor,  the  sponsor,  the  teacher,  or  the  parent,  is 
another  call  of  the  Church.  So  is  the  summons,  at  a  riper  age, 
to  adopt  for  ourselves  the  Christian  profession ;  so  is  the  weekly 
worship  of  the  Lord's  day;  so  is  every  sermon,  every  treatise, 
every  prayer,  every  hymn,  proceeding  from  those  who  are  espe- 
cially appointed  to  administer  the  ordinances  of  religion ;  so  is 
the  public  and  solemn  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper ;  so  is 
every  one  of  the  vast  number  of  means  by  which  religion  is  every 
hour  externally  urged  upon  our  attention.  A  heavy  guilt  of  negli- 
gence may,  indeed,  rest  upon  the  Church  of  Christ ;  but  surely 
none  of  us,  my  brethren,  can  at  the  last  extenuate  our  obstinate 
rebellion  against  God,  by  the  plea  that  we  did  not  sufficiently 
hear  her  call. 

The  exhortation  follows,  'Let  him  that  heareth  say  Come.' 
It  expresses  as  well  the  duty,  as  what  must  be  the  warm  desire 
of  all  who  receive  and  embrace  the  word  with  true  and  honest 
hearts.  In  a  certain  sense,  my  Christian  brethren,  we  are  all 
preachers  of  the  Gospel,  and  may  say  with  St.  Paul,  '  woe  is  unto 
us  if  we  preach  it  not.'  "   .   .   .   . 

"  Besides  such  as  officiate  in  the  pastoral  character,  such  as 
publicly  teach,  and  all  who  write  in  the  cause  of  religion,  those 


FIRS  T  SERMON  IN  II A  R  TFORD.  63 

preach  the  Gospel,  too,  who  bring  up  their  children  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  those  who  render  comfort  to  the 
afflicted  and  support  to  the  dying,  those  who,  with  generous 
boldness,  attempt  to  check  the  profligate  on  his  course  of  ruin,  and 
all  those  who,  themselves  enlightened  by  the  word  and  the  grace 
of  God,  strive,  in  whatever  way,  to  open  the  eyes  and  direct  the 
path  of  their  fellow  men,  to  light  and  immortality."   .... 

"Sometimes,  when  derision  of  religious  truth  rises  in  our  pre- 
sence, almost  to  blasphemy,  and  many,  perhaps,  are  waiting  for 
our  words  to  confirm  their  tottering  courage  or  faith,  our 
languid  smile  betrays  how  much  more  we  feel  of  desire  to  retain 
the  favor  of  all,  than  of  pain  that  the  Gospel  is  wronged,  and 
the  souls  of  our  brethren  endangered.  Sometimes,  when  the 
disposition  of  those  whom  we  address  is  most  favorable,  we 
content  ourselves  with  a  mere  general  remark,  true,  indeed,  and 
perhaps  exceedingly  valuable,  but  without  animation  or  love  ;  at 
other  and  more  difficult  times,  we  hide  ourselves  under  a  caution, 
which  is  to  be  used  with  the  utmost  caution,  and  excuse  ourselves 
from  throwing  our  pearls  before  swine."   .... 

"Labor  not  so  much,  my  brethren,  to  talk  about  religion, 
as  to  feel,  and  then  of  course  talk,  religiously.  Frame  not 
too  many  resolutions  for  regulating  your  conduct  in  this  par- 
ticular ;  but  let  the  grace  of  God  keep  your  hearts  in  a  frame 
always  to  delight  in  repeating  the  call  of  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride, 
to  come. 

He  who  speaks  in  the  text  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  last 
addresses  the  invitation  of  grace.  He  sent  the  Spirit  to  awaken 
the  slumbering  world  ;  He  chose  the  Bride,  and  charged  her  by 
his  love,  to  be  faithful,  in  spreading  the  call ;  He  commands  each 
individual  believer  to  aid  in  propagating  the  glad  tidings  of  great 
joy ;  and  He  Himself,  as  well  in  the  text  as  in  the  words  which 
He  spoke  upon  earth,  gives  to  all  generations  the  freest,  fullest 
invitation  to  glory,  life,  and  immortality."   .... 

"  Having  thus  considered  the  persons  by  whom  the  invitation 
comes,  the  Spirit,  the  Church,  the  individual  believer,  and  the 
Lord  of  life,  let  us  now  observe  the  persons  to  whom  it  is  ad- 
dressed. This  is  an  easy  task,  for  if  any  invitation  could  be  uni- 
versal, it  is  surely  this.  No  person  is  excluded  but  those  who 
will  not  come,  those  who  are  not  athirst  for  the  waters  of  life  to 
which  we  are  invited  ;  and  this  is  indeed  no  exclusion."  .... 

"All  are  indeed  invited;  but  no  man  will  come  until  he  is 
athirst  for  the  water  of  life,  and  the  Scripture  does  not  at  all 
suppose  it  possible  that  others  should  come.  They  who  love, 
and  are  satisfied  with  the  intoxicating  draughts  which  the  world 
off'ers,  how  should  they  relish  the  pure  simple  water  of  holy  joy 
and  peace  ?     They  who  have  as  they  imagine  no  need  of  restora- 


64  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

tion,  why  should  they  repair  to  the  healing  Bethesda  of  the 
Gospel?"   .... 

"  But  others  there  may  be,  who  feel  in  themselves  the 
earnest  wish  after  the  benefits  of  redemption,  but  doubt  of  the 
sincerity  of  their  love  to  Christ  and  of  their  hatred  of  sin ;  who 
see  the  necessity  of  the  living  waters,  but  are  not  sensible  of  a 
burning  thirst  that  '  longeth  after  God  as  the  hart  after  the  water 
brooks. '  To  such  the  Lord  addresses  the  language  of  encourage- 
ment, when  He  says,  '  Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of 
life  freely.'  Come  from  whence  it  may  the  will  to  taste,  the 
command  is  alike  to  all ;  and  how  many  of  us  would  be  found 
among  the  ranks  of  the  redeemed,  if  only  those  were  reckoned 
who  came  with  that  burning  thirst,  if  all  those  were  excluded  in 
whose  breasts  the  work  of  renovation  began  amidst  uncertainty 
and  slowness  and  fear?  Only  we  must  not  be  content  till  our 
love  increase  ;  one  draught  from  the  fountain  must  make  us  re- 
turn to  it  with  a  livelier  relish  and  a  warmer  desire  :  we  must 
not  disguise  from  ourselves  the  necessity  of  our  complete  rescue 
from  that  bondage  to  which  our  hearts  tell  us  we  have  not 
altogether  ceased  to  submit. 

The  third  point  which  it  was  proposed  to  consider,  is  the  pur- 
port itself  of  the  invitation."   .... 

"Sometimes,  my  brethren,  the  Scriptures  paint  the  work  of 
salvation  as  a  toilsome  conflict  with  many  and  potent  adversa- 
ries ;  sometimes  as  a  laborious  journey  to  a  distant  unseen  land  ; 
sometimes  as  a  straight  and  narrow  path  ;  sometimes  they  sum- 
mon us  to  be  prepared  at  its  entrance  for  the  sacrifice  of  that 
which  clings  most  strongly  to  our  natural  affection ;  sometimes 
they  exhort  us  to  escape  and  flee  like  Lot  to  the  mountain  from 
the  wrath  to  come ;  but  in  our  text,  we  are  called  to  regard  it  in 
no  other  light  than  as  a  free  gift  of  infinite  value,  which  costs  us 
nothing  but  the  acceptance ;  as  a  refreshment,  unspeakably  more 
delightful  than  that  which  the  bubbling  stream  presents  to  the 
weary,  parched,  and  sinking  traveller  of  the  desert.  At  another 
time  we  will  arm  ourselves  for  the  conflict,  we  will  gird  up  our 
loins  for  the  journey ;  we  will  think  of  the  straightness  of  the 
way  ;  we  will  brace  ourselves  for  self-denial ;  we  will  speak  with 
trembling  of  the  destruction  we  are  called  to  shun  ;  but  at  present 
we  will  only  gaze  at  the  River  of  Life,  and  linger  for  a  moment 
upon  its  brink,  till,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  we  are  allured  to 
taste  of  the  waters.  It  is  but  to  come  and  freely  to  take,  of  what? 
of  life,  of  the  water  of  eternal  life.  In  that  one  word,  life,  in  its 
truth  and  reality  are  comprehended  the  full  exercise  of  all  our 
lofty  capacities  and  all  our  happy  affections,  the  close  union  with 
the  origin  and  centre  of  our  being ;  and  after  these  is  there  need 
to  mention  that  sickness  and  pain  and  death  shall  never  enter  the 


FIRST  SERMON  IN  HARTFORD.  65 

walls  of  the  eternal  city?  The  jewelled  foundations  of  the  New 
Jerusalem,  the  gates  of  pearl,  the  tree  of  life,  whose  leaves  were 
for  the  healing  of  the  nations,  the  street  of  pure  gold,  as  it  were 
transparent  glass,  these  are  figures,  but  they  express  the  highest 
glory  and  the  purest  bliss  of  which  the  imagination  of  a  mortal 
under  the  touch  of  divine  inspiration  could  give  the  poetic 
delineation."   .... 

"  Do  you  ask,  how  shall  we  come?  Come  to  the  footstool  of 
your  God  in  prayer  for  His  renewing,  sanctifying  Spirit ;  come  to 
His  word  with  simple,  humble,  diligent  hearts ;  come  to  His 
house,  and  join  with  all  your  souls  in  the  petitions  and  the  praises 
of  His  people ;  come  to  your  work  of  active  duty,  be  it  where  it 
may,  as  His  servants  and  His  stewards,  rejoicing  in  your  task. 
Come  with  all  your  infirmities  and  your  defilement,  and  ask  to 
be  purified  and  to  be  healed,  and  you  shall  be  accepted." 

Instead  of  advising  him  to  accept  the  invitation  to  New  Lon- 
don, Bishop  Brownell  proposed  to  him  to  become  his  assistant 
in  Christ  Church  for  two  months.  Some  of  his  friends  were 
strongly  in  favor  of  New  London.  The  invitation  to  that  parish 
was  for  a  year,  with  every  prospect  of  a  call  to  the  rectorship. 
That  to  Hartford  was  for  two  months  only,  and  they  feared  that 
he  would  there  be  so  overshadowed  by  the  Bishop  and  the  Clergy 
connected  with  the  college,  that  there  would  be  little  prospect 
that  the  congregation  would  be  satisfied  to  call  him  for  a  longer 
period.  In  opposition  to  these  remonstrances  was  the  urgent 
invitation  from  the  Bishop,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  sought 
in  this,  as  in  every  event  of  his  life,  still  higher  counsel,  for  the 
result  shows  that  in  remaining  at  Hartford  he  was  wisely  directed. 
Before  the  two  months  had  expired,  the  parish,  with  perfect  una- 
nimity, invited  him  to  become  their  rector,  and  requested  Bishop 
Brownell  to  admit  him  to  Priests'  Orders. 

The  first  sermon  preached  by  Mr.  Burgess  to  the  congregation 
of  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  in  his  new  character  as  assistant 
minister,  was  on  the  24th  of  August,  1834,  and  was  from  St. 
Matthew  xxviii.  20:  "And,  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world." 

It  closes  with  these  words:    "  My  brethren,   whither  can  he 
who  now  addresses  you  look,  whither  can  you  look,  on  the  occa- 
sion on  which  he  now  addresses  you,  but  to  a  promise  like  this  ? 
Conscious  as  he  is,  praying  that  he  may  always  feel  that  con- 
5 


66  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

sciousness,  that  the  interests  in  any  degree  committed  to  his 
charge  are,  so  far  as  his  instrumentaHty  may  influence  them,  in- 
fluenced, not  for  life,  but  for  eternity,  what  can  uphold  him  but 
the  confidence  that  the  Almighty  Saviour  is  here  amongst  us? 
And,  while  you  hear  the  word  of  God  from  the  lips  of  youth 
and  inexperience,  however  willingly  you  may  yield  your  indul- 
gence and  forbearance ;  yet  what  would  encourage  you  to  hope 
a  blessing,  but  the  knowledge  that  Christ  is  here,  and  ready  to 
bless  ?  Let  us  cling  to  His  promise ;  let  us  be  often  with  it  at 
His  throne  of  grace,  for  ourselves  and  for  one  another.  Humble 
under  our  utter  unworthiness ;  acknowledging  that  we  have  no 
strength  in  ourselves  for  the  task,  let  us  throw  ourselves  upon  His 
mercy,  and  give  up  all  our  powers  to  His  disposal,  and,  appeal- 
ing to  His  promise,  leave  the  success  of  His  own  work  to  His 
own  omnipotence  and  grace." 


X. 

ORDINATION  TO  THE  PRIESTHOOD  AND  INSTITUTION. 

It  is  a  singular  circumstance  that  Mr.  Burgess  was  not  only 
admitted  to  the  Priesthood,  and  instituted  on  the  same  day,  the 
first  service  being  held  in  the  morning,  the  second  in  the  after- 
noon of  November  2,  1834,  the  twenty-third  Sunday  after  Trinity, 
but  that  he  also  preached  his  own  institution  sermon.  The  pro- 
posal to  preach  on  that  occasion  could  never  have  been  made 
by  him  ;  he  must  have  yielded  to  the  express  wish  of  Bishop 
Brownell. 

His  sermon  was  from  i  Thessalonians  ii.  19,  20:  "For  what 
is  our  hope,  or  joy,  or  crown  of  rejoicing?  Are  not  even  ye 
in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  at  His  coming  ?  For  ye 
are  our  glory  and  joy." 

"It  pleased  the  divine  wisdom  to  select,  amidst  the  multitude 
of  the  primitive  preachers  of  the  gospel,  one  man  to  be  espe- 
cially held  up  as  a  pattern  for  every  age.  The  Apostle  Paul  had 
been  miraculously  called  to  his  office ;  was  distinguished  by  the 
rich  abundance  of  his  labors  and  his  success ;  and  has  left  both 
in  his  history  recorded  in  the  Acts,  and  in  his  numerous  epistles, 
far  clearer  traces  of  his  ministerial  character  and  feelings  than  all 
the  Apostles  beside.  It  is  not  easy  to  mistake  in  this  the  design 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  who  inhabited  his  breast,  and  who  inspired 


INSTITUTION  SERMON.  67 

his  historian.  Certainly  it  was  meant  that  we  should  see,  and 
catch  from  the  sight,  the  feelings  of  one  who  was,  if  ever  man 
deserved  the  name,  a  worthy  minister  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
It  was  meant  that  from  the  zeal,  the  faithfulness,  the  affection, 
the  prudence,  the  intrepidity,  the  forbearance,  the  liberality,  the 
entire  devotedness  of  that  chosen  saint,  his  successors  of  every 
order  under  the  various  vicissitudes  of  every  succeeding  age, 
should  draw  an  example  that  should  be  for  them,  in  this  their 
character,  the  highest,  save  one  alone. 

The  Apostle  Paul  could  look  around  upon  a  multitude  of 
churches  in  Asia  and  Europe,  as  the  fruits  which  he  himself  had 
planted  ;  and,  whether  he  addresses  the  Christians  of  Corinth, 
of  Thessalonica,  of  Philippi,  or  of  Colosse,  it  is  with  the  same 
spirit  of  paternal  affection.  To  no  man  since  has  been  given  a 
pastoral  love  so  enlarged,  because  no  man  since  has  been  in- 
trusted with  such  a  charge  ;  and  it  may  be  doubtful  whether  the 
human  mind,  without  an  apostolical  degree  of  expansion  and 
sanctification,  be  capable  of  embracing,  with  such  special  ardor, 
such  a  variety  of  communities  ^nd  of  individuals.  Not  that  the 
ambassador  of  Christ  is,  at  any  time,  justified  in  that  almost  sel- 
fish spirit,  which,  while  it  labors,  perhaps  with  much  diligence, 
in  a  single  field,  looks  never  beyond  that  field,  forgets  that  the 
souls  of  all  are  equally  dear  to  the  Redeemer  of  all,  and  feels  no 
interest  in  the  success  of  the  gospel  beyond  a  single  parish,  or 
a  single  nation.  No  !  the  bond  of  Christian  charity  knows  no 
restriction ;  and  we  must  seek  that  the  natural  affection  which 
endears  to  us  those  with  whom  we  are  most  connected,  while  it 
is  deepened  and  sanctified  by  the  renewing  grace  of  God,  may 
never  give  birth  to  coldness  in  our  duty  towards  all.  Still,  it  is 
most  delightful  when  Christian  charity  and  social  affection  may 
work  together.  So,  the  faithful  parent,  engaged,  perhaps,  in 
many  benevolent  labors  for  the  general  good,  turns  with  most 
ardor  to  the  improvement  of  his  own  circle  at  home.  And  so, 
the  faithful  pastor,  while  he  participates,  in  some  degree,  in  the 
zeal  with  which  a  Paul  could  pray  and  give  thanks  and  labor  for 
Christian  Churches  and  for  all  mankind,  must  yet  feel  most  of 
the  ardent  affection  of  that  Apostle  when  he  looks  to  the  people 
of  his  peculiar  charge.  Thus,  in  the  language  of  the  Apostle 
addressed  to  the  Thessalonians  in  our  text,  you  may  find  the 
sentiment,  which  must  accompany  a  true  and  an  affectionate 
minister  of  Christ,  when  he  enters,  while  he  pursues,  and  when 
he  closes  his  course  of  pastoral  duty.  Let  us,  then,  contemplate, 
as  we  are  led  by  the  words  of  the  text,  first,  the  implied  exclu- 
sion of  every  other  hope  and  joy  for  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
than  that  to  which  the  Apostle  has  reference ;  secondly,  the  ob- 
jects of  that  hope  and  joy ;  and  finally,  its  glorious  termination 
'  in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  at  His  coming. ' 


68  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

'What,'  says  St.  Paul,  'is  our  hope,  or  joy,  or  crown  of 
rejoicing  ?'  You  can  conceive,  my  brethren,  that  if  all  upon 
whom  hallowed  hands  are  laid,  should  ask  themselves  before 
God,  what  is  their  chief  hope  and  joy  in  their  ministry,  the  answer 
of  conscience  might  sometimes  vary  from  that  of  the  Apostle.  We 
know,  and  it  is  the  acknowledgment  of  the  greatness  of  human 
apostasy,  that  the  Christian  ministry  has  been  stained,  not  merely 
by  momentary  forgetfulness  of  the  dignity  and  responsibility  of 
the  sacred  office,  but  by  utter  disregard  of  the  most  solemn  vows, 
by  grievous  abuse  of  the  word  and  ordinances  of  God  ;  and  even 
by  the  bold  impiety  of  profligate  hypocrisy.  We  have  high 
cause  to  be  thankful  that  it  is  not  often  thus  amongst  us ;  but 
against  departures  less  gross  and  less  open,  perhaps,  indeed, 
wholly  concealed,  even  those  whose  original  dedication  was  con- 
scientious and  devout,  need  to  be  vigilantly  and  prayerfully  on 
their  guard.  For  a  sincere  and  elevated  mind  the  danger  of 
glaring  abuses  may  be  small ;  for  we  all  must  own  that  even  in 
the  sight  of  the  world,  scarcely  is  there  a  character  more  dread- 
fully contemptible  than  that  of  a  grossly  unworthy  minister  of 
the  gospel.  Those  whose  hope  and  joy  are  evidently  nothing 
above  gain  or  ease  or  sensual  indulgence,  can,  of  course,  have 
nothing  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  are  none  of  His.  But,  it 
may  happen  that  influenced,  at  least  in  part,  and  at  first  by  a  true 
desire  to  be  made  instruments  of  good  to  the  souls  of  men,  we 
may  be  tempted,  and  possibly  led  to  make  something  else  the 
chief  object  of  our  hope  and  joy.  It  is  sad  to  think  that,  when 
many  are  listening  with  attentive  delight  to  the  eloquent  periods 
of  the  speaker,  perhaps  even  aroused,  through  his  instrumen- 
tality, from  the  slumber  of  sin,  or  drinking  in  the  rich  flow  of 
evangelical  consolation  and  instruction,  he  himself  may  be 
nourishing,  at  every  moment,  a  miserable,  oh  !  how  miserable, 
vanity  !  It  is  sad  to  think  that  he  may  come  to  make  it  his  chief 
hope  and  joy,  not  to  be,  but  to  be  called,  a  skilful,  a  learned,  a 
faithful  preacher ;  or  may  make  even  the  terrors  of  the  Lord  the 
means  of  displaying  the  energy  of  his  eloquence.  It  is  sad  to 
think  that  he  may  go  from  house  to  house,  not  to  cherish  Christian 
feelings,  not  to  exhort,  reprove,  or  comfort ;  not  to  provoke  unto 
love  and  good  works,  but  to  win  a  popularity  and  an  influence  to 
which  he  sacrifices  the  eternal  interests  of  his  charge.  It  is  sad 
to  think  that,  stationed  as  a  shepherd  and  a  watchman,  he  may 
'lord  it  over  the  heritage  of  God;'  may  delight  to  be  the  leader 
of  a  multitude,  and  may  be  the  last  to  render  what  he  should 
be  the  first  to  teach,  the  submission  of  self-will.  If  his  own 
exaltation,  in  whatever  character,  be  his  hope  and  joy  and  crown 
of  rejoicing,  how  fearful  may  be  the  danger  of  others ;  how 
fearful  must  be  his  own  ?     He  ought  to  watch  and  be  sober  ;  he 


INSTITUTION  SERMON.  69 

ought  to  repress  the  very  beginnings  of  selfishness,  to  anticipate 
the  hand  that  will  sooner  or  later  humble  the  proud,  and  espe- 
cially to  pray  for  grace  so  to  feel  the  realities  of  eternity,  the 
truths  of  redemption,  and  the  sancity  of  that  office  which  en- 
forces them,  that,  in  deep  humility  of  soul,  he  may  glory  only 
in  the  cross  of  Christ.  Every  other  hope  and  joy  in  his  ministry 
except  that  which  is  fulfilled  when  the  work  of  his  Master  is 
done,  and  souls  are  won  to  everlasting  life,  must  be  worse  than 
insufficient,  must,  if  it  claim  much  of  his  heart  and  thoughts, 
deaden  all  spirituality  of  mind,  prevent  or  palsy  his  labors,  and 
furnish  him  with  bitter  recollections  at  the  last,  even  if  it  bring 
not  down  upon  him  the  sentence  of  the  unfaithful  servant. 

The  questions  of  St.  Paul  in  our  text,  imply  that  his  entire 
hope  and  joy  and  glory,  as  a  minister  of  Christ,  were  found  in 
those  whom  he  should  win  to  Christ,  and  that  with  this,  no  other 
object  could,  for  a  moment,  enter  into  rivalship.  See  how,  at 
the  opening  of  every  Epistle,  his  heart  breaks  forth  into  grateful 
exultation  for  the  spiritual  gifts  bestowed  upon  the  churches  to 
whom  he  writes.  See  with  what  joy  he  marks  their  advancement 
in  knowledge  and  grace,  and  is  lost  again  and  again  in  adoration 
of  the  unsearchable  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God,  who  had 
called  them  out  of  darkness  into  His  marvellous  light !  They 
were  his  hope,  not  because  he  hoped  to  point  to  them,  in  the 
day  of  account,  as  his  claim  to  distinguished  reward  ;  but  because 
a  heart  warmed  with  the  true  love  of  God  and  man,  can  hope 
for  no  higher  pleasure  than  to  be  the  instrument  of  promoting  a 
design  so  acceptable  to  God,  and  so  necessary  to  man,  as  the 
extirpation  of  sin  and  its  woes.  They  were  his  joy,  not  merely 
because  he  had  delight  in  the  society  of  friends  so  worthy  and 
so  dear;  but  because  he  saw  in  their  graces  and  good  works  a 
tribute  of  honor  to  the  Lord  in  whom  he  rejoiced.  They  were 
his  glory,  not  because  he  desired  to  boast  of  them  before  men 
as  the  fruits  of  his  faithful  and  diligent  labors ;  but  because  he 
saw  how  much  more  glorious  than  all  the  crowns  of  earth,  was, 
in  the  sight  of  angels  and  of  God,  the  secret  consciousness  that 
immortal  spirits  had,  through  his  means,  been  led  to  eternal 
happiness.  My  brethren,  it  is  not  for  him  who  is  entering  the 
vineyard  to  employ,  with  full  justice,  this  language  of  St.  Paul. 
It  is  for  him  who  has  for  years  watched  over  and  watered  it ;  for 
him  whose  going  out  and  coming  in  are  known  to  his  people  ; 
for  him  who  has  seen  amongst  them  the  growth  of  heavenly 
grace  from  the  first  seed  sown  by  his  own  hands  to  the  rich  and 
increasing  fruit.  But  even  the  youthful  pastor,  the  desire  of 
whose  heart  it  is  to  follow  in  the  steps  of  such,  must  share  the  feel- 
ing of  the  Apostle  expressed  in  these  words.  His  hope  and  joy 
must  centre  in  the  salvation  of  his  charge ;  and  if  that  be  not  as 


70  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

yet  his  crown  of  rejoicing  and  his  glory,  yet  he  can  seek  no 
other.  In  the  most  holy  name  he  has  promised  to  be  to  them  a 
faithful  shepherd.  At  the  altar  of  God  he  has  devoted  himself, 
soul,  body,  and  spirit,  to  the  service  of  God  amongst  them. 
Solemnly  he  has  implored  for  them  the  abundance  of  divine 
grace ;  and  he  is  now  bound  '  by  every  sacred  obligation,  to 
employ  himself,'  in  the  language  of  Bishop  Wilson,  'for  their 
welfare  continually,  and  thus,  at  least,  give  his  life  for  the  sheep.' 
The  kindly  feelings  of  the  human  heart  co-operate  here  with 
the  force  of  divine  obligation  and  with  the  general  impulse  of 
Christian  charity.  Our  social  relations  have  established,  and  the 
word  of  God  countenances,  a  most  affectionate  intercourse  be- 
tween pastor  and  people.  He  is  the  common  friend  and  com- 
forter ;  he  is  called  to  witness  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  the  family 
and  the  individual.  It  is  his  voice  that  consecrates  in  the  first 
days  of  life  its  whole  future  course  to  the  gracious  Saviour,  and 
his  that  utters  over  the  closing  grave  the  accents  of  triumphant 
faith.  How  can  he  have  a  heart  and  not  feel  everything  else  to 
be  as  nothing  for  him  in  comparison  with  the  eternal  peace  of 
those  to  whom  he  is  thus  allied  ?  He  need  not  fear  to  indulge 
too  warmly  the  true  love  of  their  souls ;  it  will  never  interfere 
with  his  allegiance  to  his  Master.  It  is  the  very  spirit  of  that 
Master.  The  Son  of  God  came  upon  earth,  and  lived  and  died, 
simply  because  He  loved  our  guilty  and  wretched  race ;  and  it 
is  simply  because  He  loves  them  that  He  guards  His  Church, 
and  makes  it  victorious.  He  follows  Christ  in  whose  heart  burns 
the  same  wish  to  save.  If  a  Christian  pastor  be  faithful,  he  must 
love  every  one  of  his  people,  and  be  ready  to  make  many  and 
great  sacrifices  to  that  love.  If  he  be  faithful,  he  must  be  earnest 
in  his  supplications  that  they  may  all  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth,  and  be  stablished,  strengthened,  settled  therein.  If 
he  be  faithful  he  must  strive  so  to  model  his  instructions,  his  ex- 
hortations, his  warnings  and  his  consolations,  that  the  needs  of 
all  may  be  supplied,  and  the  word  of  truth  rightly  divided,  and 
said,  neither  so  harshly  as  to  lose  the  stamp  of  affection  nor  so 
gently  as  to  glide  away  without  leaving  its  mark  upon  the  con- 
science. This  is  our  conduct,  in  other  matters,  towards  those 
whom  we  love,  those  in  whose  prosperity  lie  our  hope  and  joy ;  and 
it  is  here  as  everywhere  the  course  of  real  and  discreet  kindness. 
To  such  desires  and  endeavors  of  the  pastor  ought  the  desires 
and  endeavors  of  the  people  to  respond.  If  they  have  confi- 
dence in  him,  let  them  remember  that  they  are  the  subject  of  his 
most  frequent  and  fervent  prayers  \  and  let  their  corresponding 
supplications  call  down  upon  him  and  upon  his  labors  the  con- 
tinual dew  of  the  divine  blessing.  Let  them  believe  that  in  no 
way  can  they  afford  him  so  much  happiness  as  when  they  cordi- 


INSTITUTION  SERMON.  71 

ally  accept  the  message  which  he  brmgs,  and,  in  their  daily  walk, 
give  glory  to  Him  whom  he  serves.  Let  them  weigh  his  doctrine 
by  the  Scriptures,  believing  that  it  is  not  because  it  is  his  opinion 
that  he  desires  them  to  adopt  it,  but  because  he  esteems  it  the 
truth  of  God  ;  and,  therefore,  though  the  inclinations  of  the 
corrupt  heart  may  oppose  themselves  to  every  direct  and  close 
appeal,  let  them  faithfully  examine  themselves  lest,  while  they 
seem  to  themselves  only  to  blame  or  despise  the  pastor,  they 
really  reject  the  humbling  doctrines,  which  might  be,  for  them, 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  And,  my  brethren,  there  is 
one  other  caution  which  the  frailty  and  guilt  of  human  nature 
imperiously  demand.  It  is  often  and  truly  said,  that  the  life  is  a 
better  criterion  of  character  than  the  words.  But,  though  this 
be  true  of  the  character  of  a  man,  yet  not  always  of  his  princi- 
ples and  his  convictions.  The  conduct  of  the  preacher,  a  frail 
and  sinful  creature,  may  often  be  very  inconsistent  with  the  truths 
which  he  preaches :  that  fact  condemns  him  as  weak,  guilty,  per- 
haps awfully  guilty,  but  not  necessarily  as  insincere.  It  is  one 
thing  not  to  follow  that  which  we  believe,  and  another  to  dis- 
believe that  which  we  teach.  The  man  stands  or  falls  according 
to  that  which  he  builds  upon,  the  only  foundation,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ ;  but  the  foundation  remaineth  sure ;  the  word  of  God  is 
always  true,  the  sacraments  are  always  valid ;  and  if  any  pro- 
claim a  gospel  that  condemns  themselves,  so  much  the  stronger 
the  proof  of  that  gospel,  since  even  such  cannot  deny  it.  But  as 
the  minister  of  Christ,  feeling  his  own  utter  weakness,  must  call 
upon  you,  confirming  his  words  with  the  Scripture,  to  follow  his 
words  rather  than  his  life,  so  he  has  a  right  to  beseech  you,  in 
Christian  love,  not  to  judge  him  by  such  transgressions  as  a  hasty 
word,  a  questionable  habit,  an  implied  inconsistency.  Conscious 
himself  that  nothing  but  the  desire  of  winning  souls  could  have 
brought  him  to  the  solemn  responsibilities  of  his  office,  conscious 
that,  in  the  depths  of  his  heart,  he  desires  to  have  in  his  people 
his  only  hope  and  joy  and  crown  of  rejoicing,  he  has  a  right  to 
ask  of  them  something  of  the  same  love,  and  to  beseech  them 
that  his  lesser  faults  may  be,  if  they  admit  not  of  excuse,  yet 
lamented  and  reproved,  before  they  be  proclaimed  and  de- 
nounced. 

In  the  words  of  the  text,  the  Apostle  leads  us  forward  to  the 
termination  of  his  hope  and  joy  in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  at  His  coming.  We  need  not  now  pause  to  dwell  upon  the 
doctrine  which  is  surely  here  contained  that  we  shall  recognize 
one  another  in  the  eternal  kingdom  of  Christ.  Let  us  only  look 
to  the  great  account  to  which  we  are  hastening.  If,  for  every 
privilege  and  talent  a  strict  and  impartial  reckoning  will  be  re- 
quired of  us,  how  much  more  for  the  privilege  of  hearing  the 


72  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

gospel  and  participating  in  the  ordinances  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  not  merely  once  or  twice  in  our  lives,  but  from  week  to 
week,  from  month  to  month,  from  our  early  childhood  to  our 
last  dying  weakness  !  We  too,  my  brethren,  must  answer  for 
these  privileges  at  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ.  There  are  pro- 
bably those  here  to  whom  this  thought  is  alarming,  and  therefore 
unusual,  seldom  presenting  itself,  and  soon  banished.  But  why 
should  we  shut  our  ears  against  the  thunders  of  a  judgment  which 
we  cannot  avert  ?  As  high  as  is  the  value  of  the  privilege,  so 
high  is  its  estimate  in  the  books  that  shall  be  opened  in  that  day. 
Christ  summons  you,  by  His  word,  which  is  here  dispensed,  to  His 
altar,  to  His  mercy  seat,  to  His  salvation,  and  they  who  believe 
not  reject  His  call.  The  Holy  Spirit  strives  with  you  by  the  force 
of  solemn  conviction  and  warm  persuasion,  and  they  who  believe 
not  stifle  His  motions  within  them.  Oh  !  let  us  think  of  the  doom 
of  Chorazin  and  Bethsaida,  and  Capernaum,  and  fear  lest  our 
distinguished  privileges  should  be,  through  unbelief,  the  means 
of  our  deeper  ruin.  The  ministers  of  Christ  are  'to  some  the 
savor  of  death  unto  death,  and  to  others  the  savor  of  life  unto 
life;  and  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?'  None  but  he  whose 
whole  dependence  is  on  the  gospel  as  the  power  of  God ;  and  in 
reliance  on  that  power,  the  language  of  the  Apostle  may  be 
adopted,  'Beloved,  we  are  persuaded  better  things  of  you,  and 
things  that  accompany  salvation,  though  we  thus  speak.'  Our 
eyes  may  look  onward,  while  we  trust  in  Him  whose  strength  is 
made  perfect  in  weakness,  to  a  more  blessed  close.  To  hope 
that  a  single  soul,  endowed  with  all  these  exalted  capacities  for 
holiness  and  happiness  in  an  eternal  world,  should  be  brought, 
through  our  means,  to  the  knowledge  of  the  way  of  life,  and  led, 
through  our  means,  in  that  way  to  the  gates  of  glory ;  this  would 
seem  enough  to  call  forth  the  utmost  diligence  of  which  we  are 
capable,  to  make  our  labors  of  love  easy  and  delightful,  and 
amply  to  support  us  under  whatever tperplexities  and  trials  may 
tend  to  dishearten  us.  But  he  who  undertakes  so  to  labor,  is 
permitted  to  hope  for  more  than  this.  The  promises  of  Scrip- 
ture, the  experience  of  the  Church,  the  triumphs  of  the  gospel  in 
our  day,  bid  him,  in  humble  dependence,  pray  for  high  results. 
Everywhere,  slowly,  it  is  true,  too  slowly,  yet  evidently,  the 
dominion  of  the  only  Redeemer  in  the  hearts  of  men  is  advanc- 
ing ;  the  word  returns  not  void  to  Him  that  sent  it ;  all  things 
proclaim  to  the  faithful  laborer  that  he  shall  not  labor  in  vain, 
nor  spend  his  strength  for  naught.  Possibly  he  may  not  see  the 
fruit ;  it  may  spring  up  where  he  looked  not  for  it,  or  after  he  is 
called  away.  But  if  he  but  preach  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  with 
a  single  heart,  he  may  well  trust  that  he  shall  not  be  without  his 
crown  of  rejoicing  in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  at 
His  coming. 


RESIDENCE  AT  HARTFORD.  73 

My  brethren,  let  us  now  look  forward,  beyond  the  vicissitudes 
of  time,  to  that  blessed  day,  blessed  to  those  who  are  in  Christ ; 
and  let  us  strive,  by  every  appointed  means,  each  for  himself  and 
for  all,  that  we  may  be  found  such  at  His  appearing  ;  and  that  we 
who  are  now  associated  by  so  many  delightful  and  sacred  ties, 
may  be  associated  in  everlasting  joy.  The  future  in  this  life  is 
with  God,  and  with  Him  we  may  confidently  leave  it ;  for,  if  we 
are  His  people.  He  has  grace  in  store  for  us,  proportioned  to 
every  time  of  our  need.  May  He,  of  His  mercy,  grant,  that  we 
may  all  know,  as  the  ground  of  our  faith,  only  Jesus  Christ,  and 
Him  crucified,  that  your  pastor  may  always  see  in  you  his  hope 
and  joy  and  crown  of  rejoicing;  and  that,  'speaking  the  truth 
in  love,  we  may  grow  up  unto  Him  in  all  things  which  is  the 
head,  even  Christ.'  " 

So  spoke  the  youthful  preacher,  and  if  his  after  course  had 
been  in  any  way  inconsistent  with  the  views  and  feelings  thus  ex- 
pressed, his  words  would  never  have  been  recorded  here.  But 
his  whole  life  furnished  such  a  beautiful  illustration  of  the  life  of 
the  Christian  pastor  who  finds  his  hope,  his  joy,  his  crown  of  re- 
joicing in  the  sanctification  and  salvation  of  his  people,  that  it 
has  been  found  impossible  to  resist  the  temptation  to  insert  the 
sermon  entire. 


XI. 

RESIDENCE  AT  HARTFORD. 

The  most  peaceful,  the  most  happy  era  in  the  life  of  a  nation 
furnishes  the  smallest  amoimt  of  incident  to  the  historian ;  it  is 
the  same  in  the  life  of  the  individual.  Mr.  Burgess  entered,  in 
the  Parish  of  Christ  Church,  Hartford,. Connecticut,  upon  a  life 
of  unceasing  labor,  but  labor  which  brought  its  own  reward,  in 
the  success  with  which  it  was  crowned. 

The  statistics,  which  show  the  growth  of  the  Parish  during  his 
rectorship,  will  form  the  subject  of  another  section  of  this  volume ; 
the  present  will  be  devoted  to  his  personal  history  as  far  as  it  can 
be  gathered  from  the  few  letters  that  have  been  preserved.  Dur- 
ing almost  the  whole  period  of  his  residence  in  Hartford,  he 
found  a  home,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  in  the  family  of  Mr. 


74  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Nathan  Morgan,  and  for  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan  he  cherished, 
to  the  last,  an  affection  ahnost  filial. 

Though  his  stay  in  Europe  had  separated  him  three  years  from 
his  own  family,  he  had  then  looked  forward  to  a  return  to  his 
early  home.  But  he  soon  found  a  home  elsewhere,  and  his  set- 
tlement at  Hartford  seems  to  have  made  almost  the  first  perma- 
nent break  in  the  family  circle.  To  another  of  the  family  leaving 
home  at  about  the  same  time,  he  wrote,  on  the  20th  of  October, 
1834:— 

"Your  separation  from  our  parents  comes  somewhat  sooner 
than  I  had  anticipated ;  but  it  is  made  under  such  pleasant  cir- 
cumstances, and  for  so  short  a  distance,  that  I  hope  it  will  not 
give  you  much  pain In  your  husband  you  have  a  con- 
stant and  valuable  companion;  and,  for  the  rest,  we  must  be 
content,  in  this  life,  with  the  vicissitudes  of  meetings  and  part- 
ings. Our  family  has  been  hitherto  exceedingly  blessed ;  and 
surely  we  may  fearlessly  commit  ourselves  for  the  future  to  the 
same  gracious  Providence.  You  may  possibly  be  thrown,  in 
your  new  situation,  into  circles  that  have  more  of  a  fashionable 
and  worldly  air  than  those  which  you  leave;  though  I  do  not 
know  that  it  will  be  so,  but  I  trust  that  you  have  become  so  much 
established  by  the  grace  of  God,  that  you  will  not  endanger  that 
tenderness  of  conscience  nor  those  habits  of  devotion,  which 
make  up  so  much  of  the  life  of  piety  in  the  soul." 

This  year  he  accepted  an  invitation  from  the  Rhode  Island 
Alpha  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society,  to  deliver  a  poem  at  their 
anniversary  celebration,  September  3d.  His  choice  of  a  subject, 
"The  Martyrdom  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,"  is  explained  in  the 
following  introductory  observations: — 

"Gentlemen  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society: — 

In  offering  to  you  on  such  an  occasion  such  a  poem  as  that 
which  I  now  present,  one  remark  becomes  important.  When,  a 
few  months  since,  I  had  the  honor  to  be  appointed  your  poet  for 
this  anniversary,  it  was  already  too  late  for  me,  under  the  en- 
gagements which  I  was  required  to  assume,  to  attempt  the  com- 
position of  anything  new  and  especially  appropiate.  Under 
these  circumstances,  the  only  way  in  which  it  remained  possible 
for  me  to  discharge  that  duty  which  every  man,  on  these  occa- 
sions, owes  to  his  Alma  Mater,  was  by  laying  before  you  some 
fruit  of  earlier  leisure.  The  following  poem  was  projected  and 
begun  during  a  short  residence  at  Rome.     Around  that  mighty 


RESIDENCE  AT  HARTFORD.  75 

metropolis  of  the  earth,  the  history  of  all  ages  seems  to  have 
revolved ;  and  one  is  there  continually  discovering  some  link  of 
connection  between  the  ancient  and  the  modern,  the  Pagan  and 
the  Christian  world.  Such  a  link  I  thought  I  saw  in  the  tradi- 
tion of  the  Martyrdom  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul;  and  this  is 
the  foundation  of  a  poem  which,  viewed  from  this  point,  may  not 
seem  altogether  unsuitable  to  this  occasion." 

Soon  after  its  publication,  he  wrote,  evidently  in  answer  to  the 
suggestion  of  a  friend  : — 

"With  regard  to  procuring  a  Reviewer,  the  course  appears  to 
me  a  little  questionable.  Brief  notices,  adapted  to  call  the  atten- 
tion of  the  public,  may  be  necessary  to  the  sale  of  a  book;  but 
a  review,  which  is  to  discuss  its  merits  at  length,  should,  as  it 
strikes  me,  be  voluntary.  If  anybody,  I  should  be  disposed  to 
say,  chooses  to  review  the  book,  very  well ;  if  not,  let  it  take  its 

chance Beyond  the  sale  of  the  book,  I  am  really  not 

much  concerned;  however  small  may  be  its  positive  worth,  its 
negative  merits  are  such  that,  I  know,  it  cannot  make  its  author 
ridiculous,  and  with  that  I  am  satisfied." 

This  extract  brings  to  light  one  of  the  reasons  why  his  works 
have  not  attracted  the  attention  which  some  at  least  of  them 
deserve,  and  instead  of  being  a  source  of  profit  to  him,  have 
often  been  an  expense.  He  was  never  willing  to  resort  to  the 
means,  so  often  used  by  authors,  to  catch  the  eye  of  the  public. 
Another  reason  might  be  that  when  he  had  anything  to  print,  he 
often  printed  it  at  his  own  expense,  without  throwing  any  risk 
upon  the  publisher. 

His  contentment  and  happiness  in  his  Parish  work  are  inci- 
dentally shown  in  a  letter,  from  which  is  this  short  extract: — 

"March  14,  1835.  ^Y  health,  about  which  you  inquire,  has 
been  as  good  through  the  winter  as  in  the  summer;  I  have  gained 
a  little  flesh,  and  do  not  find  that  my  labors  have  had  any  bad 
effect.  I  preach  twice  on  the  Sunday,  hold  a  Biblical  lecture  on 
Tuesday  evenings,  which  is  always  attended  in  fair  weather  by 
almost  as  many  as  can  obtain  seats  in  the  lecture-room,  and  have 
a  meeting  of  the  Sunday-school  teachers  on  Thursday  evening. 
My  afternoons  I  give  to  visiting,  my  mornings  to  study ;  my 
other  evenings  are  variously  employed.  The  first  lecture  in  each 
month  is  a  missionary  lecture.  All  these  lectures  are  extempore. 
Our  church  is  very  well  attended,  and  the  congregation  is,  with- 
out excei:>tion,  the  most  regular  in  all  the  observances  of  public 


76  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

worship,  of  all  that  I  have  ever  seen  in  America.  We  have  not 
had  many  additions  to  the  communion,  yet  I  am  gratified  with 
the  general  indications  and  prospect,  and  seem  to  see  many  who 
may  soon  choose  decidedly  that  better  part  that  shall  not  be 
taken  from  them." 

Again  he  wrote  in  September,  1835: — 

"As  for  a  weekly  collection  for  the  Missionary  Society,  I  doubt 
its  expediency  in  city  churches.  It  seems  to  me  that  we  must 
labor  to  impress  the  minds  of  people  with  their  obligation  to 
the  full  extent,  and. then  the  means  of  collection  will  be  of  com- 
paratively little  importance.  We  seem  almost  to  evade  rather  than 
to  meet  the  difficulty,  when  we  have  recourse  to  different  expe- 
dients for  raising  money.  I  am  thankful  that  my  lot  is  cast  among 
a  people  who  do  not  require  much  persuasion  to  induce  them  to 
give,  in  some  degree,  according  to  their  ability,  but  they  ought 
still  to  abound  more  and  more." 

His  time  was  fully  occupied.    He  thus  writes,  April  4th,  1836 : — 

"You  would  not  wonder  or  be  disposed  to  blame  me  that  a 
day  or  two  beyond  the  fortnight  has  elapsed  in  silence,  if  you 
could  have  seen  all  my  engagements  during  the  past  week.  In 
the  first  place,  I  wrote  two  sermons  as  usual,  being  always  thirty  or 
forty  in  advance  of  necessity.  Then  we  had  Morning  Prayer  in  the 
Church  (which  was  very  well  attended),  every  day  until  Friday. 
On  the  first  three  days  I  was  obliged,  as  school  committee,  to 
spend  the  afternoon  and  the  rest  of  the  forenoon,  in  visiting  the 
public  schools.  On  Good  Friday,  of  course,  I  preached  twice, 
and  that  evening  attended  a  meeting  for  some  public  business. 
On  Saturday,  I  officiated  at  a  fimeral,  and  in  the  evening  had 
service  and  an  extemporary  lecture,  at  the  chapel.  Yesterday, 
I  preached  all  day,  and  baptized  an  adult,  and  two  children 
(one  of  them  named  after  me),  and  this  morning  I  have  married 
a  couple,  whose  whole  acquaintance  had  not  exceeded  three 
weeks.  You  may  suppose  that  I  have  taken  my  first  leisure, 
after  all,  to  write  to  you. 

I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  enjoyed  Easter  as  much.  The  con- 
gregation had  seemed  remarkably  interested  through  the  pre- 
paratory season  :  the  Communion  was  very  large  ;  there  were 
several  who  came  forward  for  the  first  time,  and  two  or  three 
others  have  recently  given  evidence  of  a  Divine  Power  working 
upon  their  souls.  I  thought  much  of  our  dear  mother,  who 
was  at  Church  and  at  the  altar,  for  the  last  time,  the  Easter  be- 
fore ;  I  pray,  that  we  all  may  so  be  brought  through  this  vain 
and  sinful  world,  that  we  may  share  with  her  in  a  happy  resur- 
rection in  the  likeness  of  our  risen  Saviour." 


RESIDENCE  A  T  HAR  TFORD.  7  7 

In  1840,  the  whole  community  was  deeply  moved  by  a  catas- 
trophe involvuig  the  loss  of  many  lives,  the  burning  of  the 
steamer  Lexington,  in  Long  Island  Sound  ;  and,  like  many  others 
of  the  New  England  clergy,  Mr.  Burgess  preached  a  sermon 
on  the  occasion.  The  parish  requested  it  for  publication,  and 
while  he  acceded  to  the  request,  with  characteristic  modesty,  he 
limited  the  number  to  be  printed.  Writing  on  this  subject  to 
one  of  his  family,  he  says  : — 

Hartford,  February  10,  1840. 

"  My  heart  was  full,  when  I  first  heard  of  the  catastrophe  of  the 
Lexington,  and  remembered  how  recently  Alexander  had  been 
a  passenger ;  but  how  much  was  this  sense  of  personal  mercies 
augmented,  when  I  learned  from  your  letter  that  Thomas  would 
have  been  on  board  in  the  next  voyage  !  If  the  boat  went  and  re- 
turned but  three  times  a  week,  then  were  there  out  of  eight  voy- 
ages two,  on  which  one  of  our  family  might  have  been  a  victim; 
so  that,  if  any  calculation  of  chances  should  be  admitted,  there 
would  have  been  in  that  space  one  chance  in  four  that  the  distress 
had  been  ours.  A  fearful  hazard  :  and  may  the  remembrance, 
through  divine  grace,  be  lost  on  none  of  us  ! 

I  fear  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  comply  with  your  request  for 
other  copies  of  my  sermon  on  the  occasion.  Only  three  hun- 
dred were  printed,  as  I  particularly  desired  that  there  should  be 
no  more.  I  neither  imagined  or  wished  that  it  should  pass  be- 
yond the  congregation,  except  to  the  friends  of  the  gentlemen 
who  desired  it  for  the  press ;  and  I  thought  that  the  number  I 
have  mentioned  would  be  sufficient.  But  it  is  rather  unfortunate 
that  more  were  not  printed,  as  they  are  all  distributed,  and  more 
are  needed.  I  have  sent  away  all  my  own,  and  so  have  those 
of  whom  I  have  inquired  ;  but  if  I  should  succeed  in  finding  two 
or  three,  I  will  forward  them  to  you. 

My  Psalms  are  fairly  before  the  public.  They  have  been 
noticed  in  four  or  five  of  the  New  York  papers,  with  a  degree  of 
approbation  that  was  abundantly  satisfactory  to  me.  The  highest 
praise  which  I  have  known  that  they  received  was  from  the  best 
judge,  Mr.  Crosvvell  of  Boston,  himself,  as  you  are  aware,  one 
of  the  most  pleasing  of  sacred  poets.  I  should  not  at  all  men- 
tion the  book  or  its  reception,  for  my  own  sake  ;  but  only  as  I 
think  your  solicitude  for  my  reputation  may  very  probably  be 
much  greater  than  my  own. 

To  finish  all  that  belongs  to  authorship ;  last  week  I  delivered 
a  lecture  before  the  Young  Men's  Institute  on  '  the  affinities  of 
nations  ;'  a  subject  which,  in  the  course  of  its  prosecution,  in- 
terested me  much.     I  began  with  the  different  races  of  men,  as 


78  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

they  are  now ;  and  endeavored  to  follow  back  their  history  as 
near  as  possible  to  their  origin,  through  the  guidance  of  their 
annals,  and  of  geography,  physiology,  and  the  comparison  of 
languages ;  and  then,  beginning  at  the  other  extremity  of  the 
chain,  at  Noah  and  the  ark,  to  follow  it  down  till  the  two  paths 
met.  A  book  which  much  assisted  me,  and  which,  if  you  have 
not  read  it,  would  be  highly  instructive  and  entertaining  to  any 
of  you,  is  Wiseman's  Lectures  on  Science  in  its  connection  with 
Revealed  Religion.  The  author  is  a  Romanist ;  but  the  theology 
of  his  church  is  very  little  concerned  with  the  manner. in  which 
he  executes  his  design." 

His  "  Psalms,"  to  which  he  refers  in  this  letter,  had  just  been 
published,  before  Professor  Keble's  version  had  appeared,  or, 
at  least,  before  it  were  known  in  America.  After  alluding  to 
the  more  than  thirty  versions  of  the  Psalms  already  published, 
"not  one  of  which  has  attained  any  eminence  in  the  public  es- 
timation," he  concludes  his  preface  : — 

"  In  the  present  version,  the  author  has  endeavored  to  follow 
the  same  principles  which  would  govern  him  in  the  translation 
of  any  ancient  poems  into  English  verse ;  to  be  so  literal,  as  to 
give  the  very  sentiment,  and,  if  possible,  the  spirit  of  the  origi- 
nal, and  yet  so  free  as  not  to  inflict  pain  on  the  reader  of  taste. 
If  he  has  failed,  he  may  say  with  Mr.  Goode,  '  it  will  be  his 
solace  that  he  has  failed  amongst  names  the  most  respectable  in 
the  annals  of  piety  and  literature.'  He  will  but  have  made  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  in  a  region  where  the  very  attempt  was 
more  delightful  than  success  in  other  fields.  The  charm  of  his 
subject,  the  happiness  of  making  these  divine  strains  more  truly 
his  own,  has  already  more  than  rewarded  him ;  and  he  lays 
aside  the  harp  of  Sion  from  his  unskilful  hand  with  devout 
thanks  that  he  has  been  permitted  to  awaken,  for  his  own  soul 
at  least,  its  heavenly  melody." 

The  next  year  occurred  an  event  of  great  interest,  the  organi- 
zation of  a  second  Parish  in  Hartford,  and  the  building  of  a 
second  church.  Two  extracts  from  letters,  written  at  an  inter- 
val of  nearly  a  year,  will  show  how  entirely  free  he  was  from  all 
jealousy  of  the  new  Parish. 

Hartford,  March  15,  1841. 

*'  I  believe  that  we  are  to  have  a  new  Parish,  a  Colony,  as 
they  term  it,  of  the  present  one.  This  evening,  there  is  to  be  a 
Parish  Meeting,  to  determine  whether  the  present  Parish  shall 


RESIDENCE  AT  HARTFOKD.  79 

build  the  new  Church,  and  then  make  it  over  to  the  new  Parish, 
then  to  be  organized  ;  or,  whether  the  new  Parish  shall  be  or- 
ganized now.  There  is  not,  so  far  as  I  know,  the  least  dissatis- 
faction :  the  only  object  is  the  provision  of  more  room,  and  the 
extension  of  the  Church.  I  have  always  thought  that  the 
sooner  such  a  result  could  be  brought  about,  the  better ;  and  am 
very  glad  of  the  present  effort." 

Hartford,  March  21,  1842. 

"  Our  new  church,  St.  John's,  will  be  ready  for  consecration 
in  the  course  of  a  fortnight.  I  am  to  preach  the  consecration 
sermon  ;  and  next  Sunday  also,  to  part  with  a  portion  of  my 
people.  It  is  an  occasion  which  I  cannot  but  somewhat  feel, 
though  I  must  rejoice  at  the  manner  and  the  circumstances  of 
our  separation.  There  has  never  been  the  slighest  disturbance 
of  our  mutual  harmony  and  affection.  They  go,  only  because 
it  seems  a  duty  to  enlarge  our  borders.  The  new  congregation 
will  be  composed,  almost  entirely,  of  the  people  in  the  south 
part  of  the  town ;  some  of  them,  however,  remaining  with  us, 
and  a  few  others  going  with  them,  for  the  sake  of  strengthening 
them."* 

Returning  to  the  year  1841,  we  find  under  that  date  two  letters 
from  which  extracts  may  be  given  to  show  the  thoroughly  Chris- 
tian tone  of  all  his  correspondence  : — 

Hartford,  January  23,  1841. 
''Your  remark  respecting  the  time  of  sickness  as  so  unsuitable 
for  doing  what  has  been  left  undone  in  health,  is  confirmed  by 
the  scenes  which  we  are  constantly  called  to  witness,  as  well 
as  by  our  experience  in  every  occasional  indisposition.  We 
need  to  be  in  such  a  frame  that  we  can  humbly  place  ourselves 
in  the  hands  of  our  Father  and  our  Saviour,  and  receive  the 
simple  comfort  and  strength  of  such  a  trust.  It  is  not  a  time 
for  the  labor  of  self-examination,  but  for  the  repose  of  a  heart 
reconciled  to  God,  and  crying,  in  the  spirit  of  adoption,  Abba, 
Father.  Pray  for  me,  in  my  responsible  station,  and  for  me,  as 
having  the  care  of  my  own  soul,  that  I  may  be  filled  with  the 
love  of  our  Redeemer,  and  enabled  by  word  and  by  example  to 
glorify  His  gospel.  I  do  not  cease  to  remember  each  and  all 
of  you  '  with  supplication  and  thanksgiving.'  " 

*  On  this  subject,  a  former  parishioner  in  Hartford  writes:  "When  the 
members  of  St.  John's  Parish  left  Christ  Church,  and  I  congratulated  him  that 
his  labors  would  be  lessened,  he  replied  that  he  '  hoped  his  duties  would  be 
better  done.'  That  feeling  followed  him  until  the  close  of  life  most  wonderfully  ; 
to  do  whatever  his  hand  found  to  do,  and  to  do  it  well." 


8o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

To  his  brother,  about  to  embark  for  Europe,  in  a  letter  dated 
Brattleboro,  July  8,  1841  : — 

"  You,  however,  are  soon,  I  trust,  to  see  regions  more  interest- 
ing and  quite  as  beautiful  beyond  the  sea.  May  God  preserve 
you,  my  dear  brother,  and  give  you  much  happiness,  and  make 
all  instrumental  to  your  greater  usefulness  in  His  service ;  without 
this  all  would  be  very  worthless,  and  only  add  to  the  weight  of 
our  ingratitude.  One  thing  has  occurred  to  me  while  I  have 
been  on  the  present  journey,  as  quite  as  much  adapted  to  secure 
and  increase  your  enjoyment  as  any  other.  It  is  regularity  in 
your  devotions  under  whatever  circumstances.  There  may  be 
every  temptation  to  be  otherwise ;  and  I  do  not  doubt  that  a  false 
shame  has  often  left  wounds  on  the  conscience  of  Protestants, 
and  given  to  Romanists  the  impression  that  they  live  without 
prayer;  for  Romanists,  I  believe,  are  not  ashamed  to  kneel  down 
and  repeat  their  prayers  in  the  presence  of  others. 

As  the  time  approaches,  when  you  are  about  to  embark  on 
so  long  and  various  a  journey,  I  think  much  of  you,  and  feel 
more  the  vicissitudes  which  may  characterize  it  than  I  should, 
perhaps,  or  did  when  I  was  to  be  much  longer  absent.  But,  for 
a  shorter  or  a  longer  time,  a  greater  or  a  less  exposure,  God, 
our  reconciled  Father,  is  equally  our  Guide  and  Protector;  the 
same  abroad  as  at  home,  and  equally  needed  as  such  at  home 
and  abroad.  I  can  have  little  anxiety  for  you  while  I  believe 
that  you  are  walking  in  His  fear  and  love." 

During  his  residence  in  Hartford,  as  well  as  afterwards,  when 
the  care  of  a  Diocese  was  added  to  that  of  a  Parish,  his  letters 
frequently  contained  such  passages  as  this  : — 

"I  very  much  fear  that  you  will  not  see  me  this  week,  and  I 
write  to  prevent  disappointment.  A  parishioner,  who  is  so  ill, 
that,  unless  speedily  relieved,  she  cannot  survive  longer  than  a 
day  or  two,  requires  my  attendance;  and,  although  my  pulpit 
will  be  supplied  on  Sunday  whether  I  am  here  or  not,  yet  I 
should  hardly  feel  justified  in  leaving  home  at  such  a  moment. ' ' 

That  these  long  separations  from  his  family  were  not  volun- 
tary, but  were  the  fruit  of  his  self-denial  and  devotion  to  duty, 
the  following  extract  shows: — 

"It  has  been  purely  a  matter  of  accident  and  of  slight  rea- 
sons; and  I  feel  in  truth  that,  short  as  life  is,  I  have  been  absent 
from  our  home  too  long.  Still,  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing all  of  you,  except  Thomas,  here  within  a  period  not  much 
longer.  And,  as  to  my  father,  if  there  be  one  sentiment  which 
has  grown  upon  me  with  my  advancing  life,  it  has  been  that  of 


RESIDENCE  A  T  HA  R  TFORD.  8 1 

devoted  affection  and  unbounded  gratitude  towards  him  to  whom 
we  owe  everything  under  our  heavenly  Father." 

All  Mr.  Burgess's  letters  to  the  various  members  of  his  family 
show  his  strong  family  affection  and  his  deep  religious  feeling. 
A  few  extracts  may  be  given  to  show  the  tone  of  these  letters  j 
but  most  of  them  are  strictly  family  letters,  which  it  is  impossible 
to  give  entire. 

March  14,  1835. 
"  My  time  is  so  much  taken  up,  pleasantly,  to  be  sure,  that  I 
cannot  read  as  I  once  did.  The  business  of  visiting  in  my  par- 
ish interests  me  exceedingly.  A  clergyman  must  see  a  great 
many  of  those  scenes  in  which  human  nature  is  most  tried.  It 
tends  to  deepen  our  value  of  the  gospel,  and  to  make  us  con- 
stantly feel  that  we  are  living  for  eternity,  and  very  near  it ;  a 
thought  that,  however  solemn,  need  not  be  appalling  when  we 
look  by  faith  to  the  Redeemer,  and  live  in  dependence  upon  his 
fulness.  How  delightful  is  it,  my  dear  sister,  that  we  are,  almost 
all  of  our  family  circle,  also  united  in  the  Christian  profession, 
and,  I  hope,  in  the  true  Christian  faith.  Hardly  anything  so 
touches  my  mind  with  the  sense  of  the  goodness  of  God  towards 
me  individually,  as  this  one  circumstance.  Much  has  been 
granted  to  our  prayers ;  let  us  still  be  constantly  interceding  for 
each  other  at  that  blessed  throne  to  which,  under  all  circum- 
stances, we  are  permitted  to  have  access." 

In  a  letter  to  his  mother,  dated  March  20,  1835,  ^^  writes: — 

"My  parish  is  very  prosperous;  the  church  better  filled  than 
at  any  time  since  I  have  been  here ;  the  congregation  exceed- 
ingly attentive  and  serious;  my  lectures  always  well  and  fully 
attended  ;  and  the  Sunday  school  as  full  as  it  was  in  the  summer. 
In  a  few  instances,  I  have  had  reason  to  believe  that  God  has 
made  me,  in  some  degree,  the  instrument  of  imparting  spiritual 
life ;  and  let  me  entreat  your  prayers  that  I  may  see  many  more 
such. 

Since  I  have  been  here  the  funerals  in  the  parish  have  aver- 
aged nearly  one  a  week.  Such  scenes,  my  dear  mother,  wean 
us  from  the  world,  and  help,  through  the  grace  of  God,  to  pre- 
pare for  those  sorrows  which  must  come  upon  us  also,  and  that 
change  which  must  one  day  separate  us  for  a  while,  and  again, 
I  trust,  unite  us  forever." 

Mr.  Burgess  had  not  been  long  numbered  with  the  clergy  of 
Connecticut,  before  it  was  discovered  how  useful  he  might  be 
6 


82  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

made,  and  we  find  him  elected  first,  in  1836,  Secretary  of  the 
Church  Scholarship  Society,  next  Secretary  of  the  Convention, 
and  constantly  a  member  of  the  various  committees  appointed  at 
the  annual  Conventions.  In  1836,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Standing  Committee,  an  office  which  he  retained  until  he  left 
Connecticut,  except  in  1846,  when  he  declined  are-election,  and 
in  the  annual  reports  of  the  meetings  of  this  Committee,  his  name 
always  appears  among  those  present.  He  was  emphatically  one 
of  the  working  clergy,  and  he  never  accepted  an  office  except 
when  he  felt  that  he  could  faithfully  attend  to  its  duties.  In  1841 
and  1847,  l"*^  was  elected  a  deputy  to  General  Convention,  but  not 
in  1844.     This  omission  is  explained  in  one  of  his  letters. 

Hartford,  June  17,  1844. 
"  I  was  last  week  in  New  York  for  a  couple  of  days,  after  at- 
tending our  Convention  at  New  Haven.  To  the  General  Con- 
vention in  October  I  am  not  to  be  a  deputy,  for  which  I  am  not 
at  all  sorry.  I  should  have  been  elected,  if  I  could  have  con- 
sented to  sustain  the  position  of  the  Bishop  of  New  York,  in  case . 
that  the  subject  should  be  introduced  as  it  will  be.  Several  asked 
me  my  opinion  ;  declaring  frankly  that  they  wished  to  vote  for 
me,  but  regarded  that  point  as  of  great  importance.  I  answered 
them  as  frankly,  that  I  could  not  but  justify  the  opposition  to  his 
decisions.  Accordingly,  by  a  very  small  majority,  I  was  left  at 
home.  Dr.  Croswell  was  opposed  for  the  same  reasons;  but, 
having  been  the  first  deputy  for  many  years,  and  it  being  suffi- 
cient for  all  purposes  that  three  of  the  deputies  should  think  alike, 
as  a  majority  determines  the  vote  of  the  deputation,  he  was  elected. 
I  believe  that  I  am  much  more  respected,  under  these  circum- 
stances, than  if  I  had  gone  ;  and  I  am  released  from  no  small 
responsibility." 

The  record  of  Mr.  Burgess'  life  in  Hartford  would  be  incom- 
plete without  some  mention  of  Dr.  George  Sumner  and  Mrs. 
Sumner,  for  whom  he  entertained  the  warmest  affection,  and 
with  whom  he  was  in  habits  of  daily  intimacy.  It  was  to  them 
probably  that  he  referred  when  he  wrote  :  "  Their  warm  friend- 
ship, and  that  of  their  family  for  me,  which  I  entirely  reciprocate, 
is  indeed  one  of  the  chief  earthly  fountains  of  my  happiness. 
Why,  indeed,  should  I  call  a  Christian  friendship  earthly?" 

Near  the  end  of  the  year  1844,  he  met  with  a  great  affliction, 
in  the  sudden  death  of  Mrs.  Sumner.  To  this  he  refers  in  a 
letter  dated 


RESIDENCE  AT  HARTFORD.  83 

Hartford,  March  4,  1845. 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  synipathy  with  me  under  the  loss  of 
dear  Mrs.  Sumner ;  but  you  can  never  know  the  extent  of  that 
loss.  It  does  not,  indeed,  overwhelm  me  with  any  inordinate 
grief ;  for  I  have  an  undoubting  confidence  of  her  blessed  peace 
with  her  Saviour ;  and  I  have  not  been  accustomed  to  expect  so 
much  from  this  world  as  to  be  very  much  overcome  by  anything  ; 
perhaps,  that  makes  the  earth  more  dreary,  and  heaven  more 
glorious.  But  I  had  never  so  near  an  intimacy  with  any  friend  ; 
none  who  was  not  of  our  own  family  could  ever,  without  being 
more  than  a  friend,  have  so  much  of  my  affection ;  and  I  never 
knew  a  friendship  so  warm,  so  true,  so  steadfast,  and  so  deep  as 
hers  for  me.  It  is  very  seldom  possible  that  it  should  exist ;  be- 
cause very  seldom,  if  ever,  is  a  heart  so  large  and  generous,  so 
capable  of  loving  all,  and  capable  of  loving  a  friend  so  much, 
united  with  such  powers  of  pleasing  and  attaching,  as  in  her ;  and 
all  resting  on  such  a  foundation  of  glowing,  yet  most  modest  and 
humble  piety.  I  know  that,  beyond  her  own  family,  she  had  no 
friend  so  dear  as  her  pastor  \  and  certainly  I  never  had,  beyond 
mine,  a  friend  like  her.  Our  friendship,  too,  was  all  connected 
with  our  eternal  hopes  :  it  grew  from  the  spiritual  relationship, 
at  first,  which  subsisted  between  us ;  and  it  was  cherished  in  the 
constant  anticipation  of  a  world  where  everything  that  was  sanc- 
tified by  the  grace  of  God  will  remain  to  us  forever.  Now  that 
she  has  been  for  a  short  time  an  inhabitant  of  eternity,  I  think 
of  her  with  feelings  which  I  have  known  but  twice  before.  To 
have  often  conversed  with  a  friend  on  the  glory  that  shall  be 
revealed  ;  to  have  been  heard  as  an  ambassador  of  God  ;  to  have 
guided  the  steps  of  such  a  friend  through  the  last  years  of  life  ; 
to  have  accompanied  her  with  prayers  and  every  aid  that  is  pos- 
sible to  mortals,  to  the  end  ;  and  then  to  have  parted  ;  and  now 
to  feel  that,  though  thus  separated  by  a  veil,  we  know  not  how 
thin,  we  are  still  undoubtedly  mindful  each  of  the  other,  and 
united  by  a  bond  which  draws  powerfully  towards  holiness  and 
heaven ;  this  is  an  experience  which,  in  some  of  its  parts,  must 
be  peculiar  to  a  Christian  pastor,  and  the  effects  of  which  I  feel 
every  day  and  hour. 

I  am  sorry  that  you  take  exactly  such  a  view  of  sudden  death. 
Probably  you  will  never  be  suddenly  removed  ;  but  it  has  not  to 
me  the  same  repulsive  aspect.  Why  can  we  not  close  up,  as  it 
were,  our  accounts  every  day,  and  so  be  never  surprised  ?  And 
if  we  are  ever  to  be  ready,  why  can  we  not,  offering  the  same 
prayers,  relying  on  the  same  mercy  in  Christ,  and  doing  what 
our  hand  findeth  to  do,  be  equally  ready  whenever  it  shall  please 
God  to  summon  us?  If  He  be  with  us,  there  is  no  shock  in  the 
change  of  worlds ;  and  if  He  be  not  with  us,  the  longest  season  of 


84  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

special  preparation  is  unavailing.  Mrs.  Sumner  strove  to  be  in 
habitual  readiness,  and  often  alluded  to  her  death;  but  I  should 
never  be  weary  in  speaking  of  her." 

The  next  letter  which  we  quote,  though  written  nearly  a  year 
later,  may  have  been  suggested  by  the  same  event,  being  on  the 
subjects  of  death  and  eternity. 

Hartford,  February  2,  1846. 
"You  ask  me  how  eternity  affects  me,  and  whether  there  is 
no  shrinking  from  the  idea  of  living  forever  ?  I  answer  certainly 
not  from  that  idea,  which  is  all  my  happiness.  Most  deeply  do 
I  rejoice  to  feel  that  I  am  an  immortal  being.  Aside  from  sin 
and  guilt,  what  should  be  dreadful  in  the  thought  of  eternity  ? 
If  before  we  entered  on  the  present  life,  we  could  have  been 
brought  into  conscious  existence,  without  knowing  more  than 
that  we  were  to  begin  to  live  on  earth,  would  there  not  have  been 
as  much  solemnity  in  the  thought  of  entering  this  world  as  there 
is  now  in  that  of  entering  another  ?  Apart,  I  say,  from  sin  and 
guilt;  for  these  make  all  the  difficulty  and  the  fear;  but  if  we 
saw  it  rightly,  we  should  feel  as  to  the  present  life  as  we  feel  as 
to  the  life  to  come,  whether  we  have  hopes  or  apprehensions. 
How  can  I  cross  my  threshold,  not  knowing  what  may  befall  me 
before  I  return,  if  I  have  no  confidence  in  the  protection  of  my 
God?  Ought  I  not  then  to  tremble  at  every  breath  of  wind, 
which  may  bring  with  it  the  seeds  of  death  and  retribution  ?  But 
if  I  have  confidence  in  God's  protection,  why  should  I  dread  to 
cross  the  threshold  of  eternity  ?  Only  through  human  weakness. 
But  I  can  never  have  such  confidence  till  I  can  humbly  hope  that 
I  have  accepted  the  terms  of  salvation,  and  that  my  sins,  through 
the  blood  of  my  Saviour,  are  washed  away.  Let  my  title  thus 
be  made  clear  to  my  eye,  and  then  welcome  eternity.  It  is  no 
longer  an  awful  thought,  except  as  all  sublimity  is  in  some  sense 
awful.  If  now  you  ask,  whether  then  I  am  divested  of  all  appre- 
hensions of  death,  this  I  dare  not  say,  because  I  dare  not  affirm 
that  my  hope  will  not  make  me  ashamed,  in  the  time  of  trial ; 
and  because  it  is  our  business  in  the  season  of  our  life  to  labor  to 
make  our  calling  and  election  sure.  But  I  have  a  good  hope, 
and  it  rests  entirely  on  the  redeeming  grace  of  God,  who  '  so 
loved  the  world  as  to  give  His  only  begotten  Son;'  and  I  am 
not  so  oppressed  with  doubts  even  respecting  myself  as  that  the 
thought  of  eternity  and  of  living  forever  should  be  habitually 
overwhelming.  Think  more  of  the  love  of  God  in  Christ ;  and 
trust  Him  to  make  all  easy  for  you  at  last.  It  is  good  to  fear  ; 
but  it  is  good  also  to  hope  strongly.  I  have  seen  within  the  last 
year,  in  my  congregation,  two  or  three  singularly  happy  deaths, 
in  perfect  consciousness  and  undisturbed  peace.     The  last  was 


MARRIAGE.  85 

a  few  weeks  since  ;  a  young  married  lady  who  died  of  consump- 
tion. Delicate,  nervous,  tremulous,  so  that  receiving  the  com- 
munion during  her  illness  agitated  her  distressingly,  though  she 
had  often  received  it  in  health,  yet,  when  she  came  to  the  very 
last  hour,  without  any  influence  of  medicine,  after  her  very  sight 
was  gone,  she  took  each  of  us,  her  husband,  brothers,  sisters  and 
me,  bade  us  farewell,  said  she  was  happy,  or,  she  added,  'shall 
soon  be,'  gave  her  dying  counsels,  said  that  she  was  'perfectly, 
perfectly  ready;'  and  had  at  that  moment  a  more  firm,  fixed 
and  assured  faith  and  courage  than  I  had  ever  seen  in  her  in  any 
moment  before.  For  him  who  sees  such  scenes,  much  of  the 
terror  of  death  must  pass  away." 

And  again  under  another  date  : — 

"Your  views  of  eternity  remind  me  of  those  of ;  and 

it  is  pleasant  to  think  that  the  gloom  which  had  sometimes  hung 
over  her  mind,  in  the  contemplation  of  the  great  change,  was, 
when  that  change  approached,  so  entirely  taken  away.  Let  us 
look  forward  with  humble  hope,  assured  that  '  God  can  give 
dying  grace  in  a  dying  hour.'  Only  let  us  live  near  to  God, 
through  faith  in  His  love,  and  pray  earnestly  to  be  always  ready 
for  our  summons.  I  seem  sometimes  inclined  to  think  in  health 
too  lightly  of  the  terrors  of  death ;  at  other  times,  I  am  troubled 
with  doubts  and  fears ;  and  indeed  I  am  unworthy  even  to  hope ; 
but  still  I  can  never  lose  sight  of  that  blessed  truth,  '  God  sent 
not  His  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the 
world  through  Him  might  be  saved.'  I  desire  to  embrace  it, 
and  I  feel  that  if  I  could  live  a  thousand  years  upon  earth,  I 
could  have  no  other  ground  of  confidence." 

In  1846,  Mr.  Burgess  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divin- 
ity from  Union  College,  Schenectady,  and  the  same  year  the 
same  degree  was  conferred  on  him  by  his  Alma  Mater,  Brown 
University,  Providence. 


xn. 

MARRIAGE. 

In  1846,  on  the  26th  of  October,  Dr.  Burgess  was  married  to 
Sophia,  daughter  of  Leonard  Kip,  Esq. ,  formerly  of  New  York, 
but  at  that  time  a  resident  of  Hartford.  Under  this  date  the 
following  is  found  among  his  written  prayers: — 


86  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

"Almighty  God,  Father  of  mercies,  who  hast  ordained  the 
holy  estate  of  marriage,  and  hast  made  it  a  type  of  the  sacred 
union  between  Thy  dear  Son  and  the  church  which  He  has  re- 
deemed, we  bless  Thy  name,  that  Thou  hast  preserved  us  till 
this  day,  and  hast  united  our  hearts,  and  crowned  our  marriage 
covenant  with  Thy  fatherly  sanction  and  blessing.  And  now, 
we  beseech  Thee,  be  ever  with  us  as  we  pass  on  together  in  this 
our  pilgrimage.  Give  us  grace  to  keep  the  vow  and  covenant 
betwixt  us  made ;  and  may  our  love  be  pure,  constant,  and  de- 
voted, in  joy  and  in  sorrow,  in  health  and  in  sickness,  in  life  and 
in  death.  Prepare  us,  blessed  Lord,  for  all  the  new  duties  which 
await  us ;  and  may  we  aid  one  another,  in  every  scene,  to  walk 
worthy  of  the  vocation  wherewith  we  are  called,  being  one  in 
Christ  our  Lord;  so  that  we  may  finish  our  course  with  joy,  and 
may  so  live  together  in  this  life,  so  faithfully,  innocently,  and 
piously,  that  in  the  world  to  come  we  may  have  life  everlasting, 
through  the  merits  of  our  most  gracious  Saviour,  to  whom  with 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  all  honor,  glory,  and  praise, 
world  without  end.     Amen." 


XHL 
LITERARY  LABORS. 

During  all  these  years  Mr.  Burgess'  pen  was  not  idle.  He 
was  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  various  periodicals  of  the  Church; 
and  in  1844,  he  published  anonymously  a  poem  called  "The 
Strife  of  Brothers,"  the  result  of  long  hours  spent  with  the  Rev. 
Arthur  Cleveland  Coxe,  then  Rector  of  St.  John's  Church,  Hart- 
ford, hours  given  to  "discussions  and  inquiries  suggested  by 
their  common  duties  and  pursuits."  In  reference  to  this  poem, 
Bishop  Coxe  writes: — 

"Of  such  communings,  often  protracted  of  summer  nights,  till 
the  morning  watch  was  near,  '  The  Strife  of  Brothers'  is  to  me 
an  intensely  interesting  record.  Those  were  the  days  of  the  early 
excitements  occasioned  by  the  Oxford  Tracts.  As  an  ardent 
youth,  I  admired  the  revival  of  a  Catholicity  which  I  supposed  to 
be  that  of  Andrewes  and  of  Bull,  but  in  which  his  maturer  mind 
discovered,  sooner  than  I  did,  the  taint  of  a  sickly  medisevalism. 
The  topics  which  are  barely  touched  upon  in  the  poem,  with  epi- 
grammatic force  and  point,  were  in  fact  talked  over,  in  all  their 
bearings,  night  after  night  and  day  after  day.     Of  what  was  really 


LITERARY  LABORS.  87 

said  and  urged,  often  with  feeling  and  hot  debate,  on  both  sides, 
little  is  given.  Certain  it  is,  that  the  later  views  of  the  Bishop 
were  far  less  latitudinarian  than  they  are  represented  in  the  poem; 
and  I  rejoice  to  own  that  if  my  own  views  are  not  wholly  one- 
sided and  illiberal,  I  am  greatly  indebted  for  their  balance  and 
harmony,  to  the  attractive  force  and  fundamental  orthodoxy  of 
his  broader  Churchmanship." 

In  the  spring  of  1847,  ^^  published  "Pages  of  Ecclesiastical 
History  of  New  England."  In  reference  to  this  little  book,  he 
says: — 

Hartford,  July  2,  1847. 

"In  writing  it,  I  was  governed,  I  believe,  by  no  other  feeling 
than  a  simple,  honest  desire  to  contribute  something  which  might 
be  read,  towards  the  illustration  of  a  great  movement,  which  has 
involved  more  or  less  the  highest  interests  of  the  people  of  New 
England.  That  movement,  I  firmly  believe  to  have  its  natural 
result  in  shaking  all  settled  confidence  in  divine  revelation.  I 
dread  it,  not  merely  because  it  attacks  some  of  the  most  blessed 
truths  on  which  the  soul  of  sinful  man  can  alone  lean  for  hope, 
the  doctrines  of  the  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  of  the  atone- 
ment for  our  guilt,  and  of  the  renewing  and  sanctifying  Spirit; 
but  because  I  am  perfectly  convinced  that  it  cannot  prevail  with- 
out creating  a  general  spirit  of  doubt  as  to  all  religion,  a  temper 
as  opposite  as  possible  to  that  faith  which  is  '  the  substance  of 
things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen.'  From  my 
earliest  study  of  the  Scriptures,  I  have  never  questioned  that 
Unitarianism  was  not  the  doctrine  of  the  Scriptures.  But  when 
I  have  seen  how  uniformly  it  leads  men  to  undervalue,  to  degrade, 
and  at  length  to  cast  off  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures,  I  have 
been  more  and  more  convinced  that  we  had  ultimately  to  decide 
only  between  faith  in  a  divine  revelation  and  a  system  of  mere 
denial  and  unbelief.  I  do  not  speak  of  individuals;  because 
very  often  they  do  not  understand  their  own  system  thoroughly; 
and  their  hearts  may  be  better  than  their  system.  But  of  Uni- 
tarianism, as  a  system  of  doctrine,  I  cannot  doubt  that  the  issue 
is  a  state  of  utter  religious  uncertainty ;  and  in  this  little  work  I 
have  but  fairly  traced  the  historical  progress  by  which  all  this  is 
confirmed.  I  hope  that  in  the  main,  it  will  meet  your  approval. 
It  has  been  for  many  years  a  part  of  my  daily  prayers  that  all 
those  friends  of  my  early  youth  whom  I  believe  to  have  been  in 
this  respect  misled  by  men  who  believe  far  less  than  their  office, 
under  the  loosest  construction,  is  supposed  to  imply,  might  sub- 
mit themselves  with  a  single  heart  to  the  word  of  God ;  and  then, 
I  doubt  not  the  issue." 


88  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

In  1846  Mr.  Burgess  was  requested  to  deliver  the  poem  before 
the  House  of  Convocation  of  Trinity  College  in  the  following 
year ;  an  appointment  which  he  declined,  being  unwilling,  to 
use  his  own  words,  "to  lift  up  his  voice  in  any  less  sacred  strain" 
beneath  those  solemn  arches  which  heard  his  pastoral  vow.  But 
in  1847,  3^s  the  time  for  the  delivery  of  the  poem  drew  near,  the 
request  was  repeated,  and  a  strong  pressure  was  brought  to  bear 
upon  him.  He  was  reminded  of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  for 
such  occasions  the  services  of  men  of  standing,  and  it  was  urged 
that  his  example  might  make  the  task  more  easy  in  future.  A 
few  lines  prefixed  to  the  poem  when  published  explained  his 
reasons  for  yielding: — 

"  Nothing  but  the  desire  to  advance  in  any  manner  the  inter- 
ests of  an  endeared  institution,  and  a  wish  to  cherish  amongst 
our  educated  men  the  honor  and  the  love  of  sacred  and  generous 
poetry,  persuaded  the  writer  to  undertake  the  task  of  delivering 
a  poem  before  the  Convocation  of  Trinity  College,  Hartford. 
Nothing  else  has  induced  him  to  consent  to  its  publication.  In 
both  instances,  his  refusal  was  sincere  and  earnest,  and  was 
only  overcome  by  considerations  which  were  not  personal." 

He  chose  for  his  subject  The  Poets  of  Religion.  Those  who 
knew  that  it  was  only  three  weeks  since  his  consent  was  given, 
could  scarcely  believe  that,  without  neglecting  or  postponing 
any  of  his  accustomed  duties,  he  had  written  the  poem  within 
that  time ;  but  it  was  supposed  that  he  had  adapted  to  the 
occasion  verses  that  had  been  written  previously.  But  this  was 
not  the  case.  His  familiarity  with  religious  poetry  enabled  him 
to  prepare  it  without  taking  time  from  other  duties.  He  did 
not  need  to  sit  down  in  a  library  with  books  of  reference  around 
him;  but  most  of  the  poem  was  composed  as  he  walked  the 
streets  of  the  city  in  his  daily  round  of  visits,  and  when  he  re- 
turned home  he  dictated  while  he  rested,  employing  a  less  weary 
hand  than  his  own  to  commit  his  thoughts  to  paper. 


APPROACH  TO  THE  EPISCOPATE.  89 

XIV. 
APPROACH  TO  THE  EPISCOPATE. 

It  is  known  that  Dr.  Burgess  was  sometimes  invited  to  other 
fields  of  labor ;  but  these  invitations  were  never  made  public  by 
him.  A  single  sentence  in  a  letter  to  one  of  his  own  family 
shows  both  the  fact  of  the  invitation  and  his  own  caution  in 
naming  it : — 

October  22,  1836.  "Overtures  were  lately  made  to  me  from 
a  church  of  some  importance,  I  shall  not  tell  you  what  or 
where,  to  exchange  my  situation ;  but  I  could  not  see  it  to  be 
my  duty;  and,  except  as  my  duty,  it  will  not,  under  present 
circumstances,  be  my  inclination." 

In  the  summer  of  1847,  ^  question  was  proposed  for  his  con- 
sideration, which,  for  the  time,  gave  him  serious  anxiety ;  letters 
came  to  him  from  the  clergy  of  Maine,  asking  whether  he  would 
accept  the  Episcopate  of  that  Diocese.  While  he  tried  to  turn 
their  thoughts  to  other  persons  whom  he  thought  adapted  to  the 
position,  he  made  the  question  the  subject  of  constant  and  pray- 
erful deliberation,  and,  as  the  time  drew  near  when  he  must  de- 
cide, he  set  aside  seasons  for  fasting  as  well  as  prayer. 

At  one  of  these  seasons  he  wrote  the  following  prayer: — 

"Almighty  God,  my  heavenly  Father,  who  hast  created  me,  and 
given  me  all  my  faculties  and  powers;  who  hast  preserved  me  to 
this  day,  and  blessed  me  with  all  my  opportunities  of  education, 
improvement,  and  cultivation;  who  hast  redeemed  me  with  the 
precious  blood  of  Thy  dear  Son,  and  made  me  a  temple  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  I  might  honor  and  serve  Thee  in  my  generation,  and 
at  last  be  numbered  with  Thy  saints  in  glory  everlasting ;  I  would 
consecrate  myself  afresh  to  Thee,  while  I  implore  Thy  blessing 
on  my  present  deliberations  and  decisions. 

I  am  unworthy,  O  Lord,  of  the  meanest  place  in  Thy  house 
and  at  Thy  altar ;  and  when  I  regard  my  sinfulness  in  heart  and 
life,  and  think  of  the  holiness  which  belongs  to  Thy  servants  and 
ministers,  I  am  ashamed  and  troubled,  and  overwhelmed  with  a 
sense  of  my  unfitness,  to  be  a  guide  and  example  for  others. 
My  only  hope  is  in  the  riches  of  Thy  mercy,  through  Christ  our 
Saviour.  I  look  to  him  as  the  Advocate  and  Propitiation  for 
sinners;  and  pray  Thee  for  His  sake  to  forgive  me  all   that  is 


90  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

past;  and  especially  all  wherein  I  have  neglected  the  duties  of 
my  holy  ofifice,  or  walked  unworthy  of  its  great  obligations. 
Let  not  my  offences  be  remembered  against  me;  and  O,  let  them 
not  deprive  those  who  have  been  committed  to  my  charge,  of  the 
blessings  which  have  been  reserved  for  them  by  Thy  mercy  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

And  now,  O  Father,  when  in  Thy  good  Providence  the  time 
seems  to  be  nigh  for  the  decision  which  shall  determine  the  place 
and  circumstances  of  my  future  abode ;  and  when  the  voice  of 
my  brethren  seems  to  call  me  to  a  higher  office  in  Thy  holy 
Church,  my  eyes  are  directed  to  Thee,  from  whom  cometh  all 
my  help.  Oh,  give  me  wisdom  as  Thou  hast  promised  to  them 
that  ask  Thee.  Show  me  the  way  wherein  I  should  go;  and  give 
me  grace  to  follow  it  with  a  cheerful  and  thankful  heart ;  that  I 
may  have  peace  hereafter,  in  the  recollection  of  my  choice ;  and 
that  all  who  may  be  interested  in  it  may  have  cause  to  bless  Thy 
holy  name,  and  give  Thee  thanks  forever. 

To  this  end,  bring  to  my  mind  all  which  I  need  to  remember, 
and  impress  it  upon  my  soul,  and  enable  me  to  judge  wisely  and 
meekly.  Take  away  from  me  all  false,  selfish,  and  unhallowed 
motives;  all  pride  and  exaltation  of  myself;  all  vanity  and  sel- 
fish will;  all  love  of  power  and  desire  to  lord  it  over  Thy  heri- 
tage ;  all  slothful  and  luxurious  love  of  ease ;  and  may  it  be  my 
simple  and  entire  wish  to  be  there  placed  where  I  may  most  pro- 
mote Thine  honor,  and  the  good  of  Thy  church,  in  the  salvation 
of  the  souls  of  my  fellow-men.  Give  me  deep  humility  of  spirit, 
and  let  the  same  mind  be  in  me  which  was  in  Christ  Jesus  my 
Lord,  who  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister.  Give 
me  that  single  eye  which  Thou  approvest ;  and  make  me  perfectly 
content,  in  whatsoever  state  Thou  shalt  place  me,  and  desirous 
only  that  Thy  will,  O  Lord,  should  be  done.  I  resign  myself 
to  Thee ;  make  my  way  as  plain  and  clear,  I  beseech  Thee,  as  may 
seem  good  to  Thy  perfect  wisdom;  and  let  all  my  dear  friends, 
and  brethren,  and  people  be  satisfied  that  my  decision  is  well 
pleasing  in  Thy  sight.  To  Thee  my  heart  is  open.  Thou  knowest 
that  I  but  wait  for  the  guidance  of  Thy  Providence  and  grace ; 
O,  decide  Thou  for  me,  and  then  all  shall  be  well. 

Hear  me,  O  heavenly  Father,  and  forgive  me;  guide  me  and 
bless  me,  for  the  sake  of  Thy  blessed  Son  our  Lord,  to  whom, 
with  Thee  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honor,  praise,  and  glory, 
world  without  end.     Amen." 

Friday,  August  13,  1847. 

Bishop  Burgess,  at  this  time,  put  on  paper  every  reason  both 
for  and  against  his  acceptance  of  the  office  of  Bishop.  This 
paper  exalts  alike  his  faithfulness  and  his  modesty. 


APPROACH  TO  THE  EPISCOPATE. 


91 


■■  For.  Reasons.  Against. 

From  the  general  interests  of  the  Church. 


1.  Can  I  not  be  more  useful  as  a 
student  and  writer,  where  books  are 
more  abundant,  and  active  duties,  be- 
yond those  of  a  parish,  less  pressing? 


1.  It  is  desirable  that  the  office  of  a 
Bishop  should  generally  be  accepted 
by  those  to  whom  it  may  be  offered, 
especially  where  it  is,  in  a  temporal 
view,  less  desirable. 

2.  Whatever  powers  an  individual 
may  possess,  are  to  be  employed,  at  the 
call  of  the  Church,  which  is,  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  to  decide. 

3.  It  must  be  considered  by  me  an 
advantage  that  the  views  which  I  hold, 
far  from  any  extreme,  should  be  the 
views  of  another  Bishop. 

4.  The  probability,  from  the  judg- 
ment of  those  who  may  elect  me,  that 
I  may  possess  some  of  the  requisite 
qualities  for  the  good  of  the  Church. 


From  general  principles  of  clerical  or  Christian  duties. 


1 .  The  presumption  of  a  Providential 
call  when  one  is  summoned,  without 
solicitation  or  desire,  and  with  unani- 
mity, to  a  higher  station. 

2.  The  promise  of  strength  and  grace 
for  every  duty  to  which  a  Christian  can 
be  summoned  ^y  the  Lord. 

3.  Have  I  not  been  preserved  and 
brought  to  this  time  for  this  ? 


1.  The  presumption  in  favor  of  the 
humble  station,  and  against  ambitious 
motives. 

2.  The  danger  of  being  exalted  with 
pride. 

3.  The  immense  responsibility  for  a 
holy  example. 

4.  The  danger  from  being  without 
superior  counsellor  and  master. 

5.  Absolute  unworthiness. 


From  the  interests  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine 
I.  Its  need  of  a  Bishop. 


The  remarkable  unanimity. 
The  probable  delay,  should  I  de- 


.3- 
cline 


4.  It  is  desirable  that  the  Bishop 
should  be  a  New  Englander. 

5.  It  is  desirable  that  he  should  be 
a  person  not  wholly  without  additional 
resources. 


I .  The  demand  for  a  person  of  more 
vigorous  constitution  and  greater  activ- 
ity. 


92  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BbRGESS. 

For.  Against, 

6.  The  facts,  that  Mr.  Gardiner  has 
so  long  desired  me;  that  I  have  been 
so  acceptable  at  Augusta ;  that  Mr.  Pratt 
was  ordained  at  the  same  time  with  me; 
and  that  my  brother  would  be  at  my 
side. 

7.  The  influence  to  be  exercised 
against  Unitarianism. 

8.  The  importance  of  moderation 
and  judgment  in  the  Bishop  of  such  a 
Diocese. 

9.  The  wishes  of  Mr.  Goodwin  and 
Dr.  Vaughan,  both  natives  of  the  Dio- 
cese. 

10.  The  vast  interests  of  the  Church 
in  so  large  a  region,  for  all  time  to  come. 

11.  The  facility  of  communication 
between  diff"erent  parts  of  the  State. 

12.  The  fact  that  the  episcopal  duties 
for  many  years  to  come  cannot  be  ex- 
cessively numerous. 

13.  The  necessity,  almost,  that  the 
Rector  at  Gardiner  should  be  the 
Bishop. 

From  the  interests  of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut. 

1.  The  probability  that  my  successor  i.  The  want  of  clergymen  of  firm 
would  be  a  person  of  principles  like     and  moderate  principles. 

my  own. 

2.  The  probability  that  he  might  be         2.  The  want  of  men  of  education  in 
a  more  useful  friend  of  Trinity  College,     connection  with  Trinity  College. 

3.  Absence  of  whatever  influence  I 
might  possess  in  securing  hereafter,  per- 
haps, a  good  Bishop  for  Connecticut. 

From  the  interests  of  the  Church  at  Gardiner. 

1.  I  am,  perhaps,  as  likely  to  be  use- 
ful there  as  in  any  other  parish. 

2.  The  opportunity  for  preparing 
careful  sermons,  possibly  for  the  press. 

3.  The  important  influence  of  the 
Gardiner  family. 

From  the  interests  of  the  Parish  at  Hartford. 

I.  The  possibility  that  another  clergy-         i.  A  change  not  in  itself  desirable. 
man  might  give  to  many  minds  a  new 
impulse. 


APPROACH  TO  THE  EPISCOPATE. 


93 


For. 

2.  The  possibility  that  Dr.  Wheaton 
might  be  my  successor. 

3.  How  easily  might  my  connection 
be  interrupted  by  sickness  or  deatli! 


Against. 

2.  The  attachment  of  so  many  to  me 
personally. 

3.  The  possibility  of  a  division  in 
the  election  of  a  successor. 

4.  Removal  from  so  many  god- 
children. 

5.  Possibility  of  collision  between  a 
future  Rector  and  the  Rector  of  St. 
John's  Church. 


Personal. 

1 .  The  situation  would  be  permanent. 

2.  It  seems  a  natural  goal. 


3.  If  rejected  now,  it  would  probably 
never  be  offered  again;  or  if  oftered, 
no  other  Diocese  would  be  to  me  so 
agreeable. 

4.  I  cannot  be  sure  of  remaining  al- 
ways in  my  present  situation;  and  for 
what  other  can  I  exchange  it  so  well  ? 

5.  Should  I  be  visited  with  ill  health, 
I  can  probably,  with  very  strict  econ- 
omy, live  without  being  a  burden  to 
the  Diocese. 

6.  The  vicinity  of  my  brother. 


7.  The  actual  nearness  of  my  friends 
in  Rhode  Island. 

8.  Convenience  of  a  smaller  church, 
should  my  health  be  at  any  time  less 
vigorous. 


1 .  Departure  from  the  graves  of  my 
friends. 

2.  Departure  from   such  dear,  dear 
friends  who  remain. 

3.  Greater  distance  from  the  family 
of  Sophia. 


4.   Probability  that  my  dear  mother- 
in-law  would  spend  less  time  with  us. 


5.  Inconvenience   of    arrangements 
in  the  autumn. 


6.  Will  the  place  be  equally  favor- 
able to  my  health  ? 

7.  Inconvenience  of  arranging  my 
Trusteeship. 


To  his  father  he  wrote  :  — 


Hartford,  July  2,  1847. 


"  You  may  have  heard  that  I  may  probably,  if  I  do  not  return 
beforehand  a  decisive  refusal,  be  invited  to  the  Episcopal  charge 
of  the  few  churches  in  the  Diocese  of  Maine.  I  shall  be  thank- 
ful for  your  prayers  that  I  may  be  guided  aright,  as  well  as  for 
any  counsel  which  may  suggest  itself  to  your  mind.  Were  it 
possible  that  the  whole  subject  could  have  passed  by,  I  should 
have  rejoiced  ;  but  if  it  must  be  considered,  I  can  only  wish  to 
do  that  which  shall  be  most  for  the  honor  of  the  Saviour  and 


94  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

the  service  of  His  cause  on  earth.  At  present  my  mind  can 
hardly  be  said  to  lean  in  either  direction  ;  but  my  affections  are 
here. 

With  the  warmest  feelings  of  filial  gratitude,  I  remain,  my  dear 
father,  Your  affectionate  son, 

George  Burgess." 

In  Sept.  1847,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Gardiner: — 

"As  the  time  draws  near,  when  the  final  decision  must  be 
taken,  I  wish  to  say  to  you  that  if,  on  coming  together,  you 
should,  upon  the  whole,  have  doubts  as  to  the  expediency  of 
proceeding  to  an  election,  or  if  the  eyes  of  any  of  the  members 
of  the  Convention  should  be  turned  to  some  other  quarter,  it 
will  give  me  sincere  pleasure ;  and  I  would  beg  you  to  let  no 
personal  consideration  intervene,  as  I  have  neither  feeling  nor 
interest  in  opposition  to  such  an  issue. 

Should  the  result  be  such  as  you  have  anticipated,  I  shall  en- 
deavor to  cause  no  needless  delay  or  embarrassment,  either  to 
the  diocese  or  the  parish ;  and  shall  probably  be  able  to  state 
at  once  my  decision.  It  will  be  governed  by  nothing  but  simple 
duty. 

Should  the  contingency  arise,  that  my  views  on  the  subject  of 
pecuniary  support  for  the  Bishop  should  be  of  any  importance, 
I  would  state  them  very  simply.  More  than  enough  to  meet 
the  additional  expenses  in  travelling,  postage,  and  other  particu- 
lars, I  should  neither  expect  nor  desire.  Few  as  the  churches  in 
Maine  now  are,  I  hardly  see  how  even  two  hundred  dollars 
annually  can  be  appropriated  by  them,  without  inconvenience. 
In  my  judgment  they  should  name  a  sum,  however  small,  such 
as  they  can  raise  without  difficulty,  and  without  the  slightest 
danger  of  future  discontent,  and  they  should  name  it  with  the 
firm  intention  of  exact  and  punctual  payment.  I  would  rather, 
for  my  sake,  and  for  that  of  a  new  diocese,  on  which  every 
such  thing  has  a  great  moral  influence,  that  they  should  say 
one  hundred  dollars,  and  pay  it  thus,  than  that  they  should 
promise  one  thousand  dollars,  and  pay  but  half  of  it. 

With  constant  prayers  that  your  action  may  be  so  guided  by 
God's  Providence  and  grace,  as  to  result  in  His  glory,  and  the 
prosperity  of  the  Church  of  His  dear  Son,  I  remain,  my  dear  sir, 

Yours  most  respectfully, 

George  Burgess." 

Dr.  Burgess  fully  appreciated  the  sacrifice  involved,  but  said 
that  if  it  was  no  greater  to  him  than  to  another,  he  ought  to  be 
willing  to  make  it.  Some  of  his  friends,  in  their  unwillingness 
to  part  with  him,  suggested  that  he  need  not  allow  the  election 


WOJ^K  IN  HARTFORD.  95 

to  take  place ;  but  he  said  that  if  it  was  his  duty  to  go,  to  decline 
before  an  election  would  be  shrinking  from  that  duty  as  much 
as  to  decline  it  afterwards.  As  soon  as  he  had  made  his  decision, 
he  called  together  the  Vestry  of  Christ  Church,  and  with  his 
usual  simple  straightforwardness,  laid  the  matter  before  them ; 
and  all  must  have  believed  him  when  he  said  that  even  at  that 
period,  if  the  choice  should  fall  on  another,  he  would  be  thank- 
ful to  be  allowed  to  remain  with  his  parish.  Even  at  the  last 
moment  before  the  election,  he  wrote  to  one  of  his  correspond- 
ents in  Maine  proposing  another  clergyman,  and  saying  that  if 
they  could  unite  on  any  other,  he  would  willingly  accept  of  any 
mortification  which  he  might  be  supposed  to  feel  at  not  being 
chosen  after  he  had  agreed  to  accept  the  office. 

A  letter  written  two  days  after  his  consecration  contains  this 
passage  :  "  The  services  were,  to  me  at  least,  unspeakably  solemn 
and  yet  peaceful.  I  am  satisfied  that  I  have  done  what  I  ought, 
and  I  shall  go,  with  a  cheerful  and  strong  heart,  to  my  future 
labors." 

After  such  serious  and  prayerful  consideration,  there  could 
be  no  room  for  misgiving. 


XV. 

WORK  IN  HARTFORD. 

This  Section  is  only  part  of  a  very  valuable  paper,  kindly 
furnished  by  Judge  Huntington,  a  former  parishioner  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Burgess  at  Hartford.  The  omissions  are  at  the  proposal  of 
Judge  Huntington. 

"When  Mr.  Burgess  entered  upon  the  rectorship  of  Christ 
Church,  Hartford,  he  had  twenty  sermons  which  he  had  never 
preached,  and  during  the  thirteen  years  of  his  connection  with 
the  parish,  this  number  was  not  lessened,  but  considerably  in- 
creased. And  yet,  he  always  preferred  to  occupy  his  own  pulpit ; 
as  I  remember  his  once  remarking  that  he  seemed  to  '  need  every 
Sunday  to  say  all  he  desired  to  say  to  his  people.'  Still  he  spent 
comparatively  little  time  in  writing  sermons,  for  he  said  he  con- 
sidered pastoral  duties  of  such  great  importance  that  he  could 
not  in  conscience,  devote  much  time  to  other  pursuits.     Under 


96  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

the  influence  of  this  conviction,  he  acquired  the  habit  of  writing 
sermons  with  great  rapidity.  His  whole  heart  was  so  absorbed 
in  parish  duties,  was  so  filled  with  the  love  of  his  work,  was  so 
intent  upon  the  promotion  of  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  people, 
and  so  stored  with  a  knowledge  of  the  truths  he  wished  to  im- 
press upon  his  hearers,  that  he  could  compose  a  sermon  in  the 
time  required  for  the  mere  mechanical  labor  of  writing  it. 

He  once  delivered  a  lecture  before  the  Connecticut  Historical 
Society,  upon  the  condition  in  their  native  country  of  the  early 
settlers  of  New  England.  This  lecture  was  deemed  a  most  valu- 
able historical  document,  and  a  copy  was  requested  for  preser- 
vation in  the  archives  of  the  Society.  He  readily  acceded  to  the 
request,  upon  the  condition  that  some  one  was  employed  to  copy 
it.  As  the  lecture  contained  many  proper  names,  the  person 
employed  was  unable  to  decipher  them.  To  obviate  this  diffi- 
culty, he  read  a  sentence  of  the  lecture  aloud,  and  while  the 
copyist  was  writing  it  down,  he  occupied  himself  in  writing  a 
sermon.  By  the  time  the  lecture  was  finished,  he  had  finished 
his  sermon.  This  incident  is  given  as  illustrating  his  industry 
as  well  as  his  economy  of  time. 

He  was  most  remarkable  for  the  employment  of  all  his  hours. 
By  this  means,  his  own  work  was  always  done,  and  he  had  time, 
whenever  called  upon,  to  do  for  others.  He  never  declined 
any  duty  or  labor  consistent  with  his  position.  So  well  known 
was  this  trait  in  his  character,  that  clergymen  of  the  various  de- 
nominations in  Hartford,  when  called  upon  for  the  performance 
of  duties  by  persons  not  connected  with  any  church,  not  unfre- 
quently  sent  the  applicant  to  Mr.  Burgess,  knowing,  as  they  did, 
that  he  was  always  ready  for  any  extra  service. 

As  a  pastor,  no  man  could  be  more  laborious  or  conscientious 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  Pastoral  work  was  very  far  from 
being  a  business  of  mere  form  with  him.  He  never  rested  until 
he  gathered  some  fruit  from  his  labors.  When  called  to  the 
sick  and  dying,  he  never  relaxed  his  exertions  while  life  lasted, 
or  until  he  could  indulge  a  reasonable  hope  that  the  subject  of 
his  eff'orts,  to  human  observation,  was  prepared  for  .the  change 
that  awaited  him. 

The  success  of  his  labors  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  duruig 
his  rectorship  of  thirteen  years,  he  received  into  the  communion 
of  the  Church  over  seven  hundred  and  fifty  persons. 

In  1 841,  one  hundred  and  six  of  the  communicants  of  Christ 
Church  colonized  and  formed  the  parish  of  St.  John's.  The 
usual  inroads  were  made  from  year  to  year  by  removals  and 
deaths ;  but  when  he  left  Hartford,  there  were  four  hundred  and 
two  names  on  his  list  of  communicants. 

In   1847,  he  was  elected  to  the   Episcopate   of  Maine.     His 


WORK  nv  HARTFORD.  97 

parochial  relations  were  in  all  respects  agreeable — his  parish 
was  one  of  the  largest  in  the  Diocese,  and  his  position  desirable 
and  pleasant.  No  pastor  could  be  more  sincerely  loved  by  his 
people,  or  more  highly  esteemed  by  the  community  generally. 
Under  these  circumstances,  he  was  elected  to  the  Episcopate  of  a 
new  Diocese  which  presented  a  vast  field  of  labor,  and  with  the 
whole  number  of  communicants  exceeding  but  by  a  few,  if  any, 
the  number  his  own  parish  contained.  With  this  contrast  in  the 
two  paths  opened  before  him,  many  men  would  have  declined 
the  proposed  change.  In  conversation  with  the  writer  as  to  his 
duty  to  accept  or  to  decline  the  call,  he  remarked  that  he  felt 
that  he  had  no  more  right  to  refuse  to  go  than  a  general  has  to 
refuse  to  go  when  ordered  to  the  front  in  the  hour  of  battle. 
With  this  conviction  of  duty,  he  resigned  one  of  the  most  desira- 
ble positions  a  presbyter  could  occupy,  and  entered  upon  his  new 
duties  with  the  same  unceasing  industry  which  marked  his  whole 
life.  No  effort  in  the  line  of  duty  was  too  great  for  him,  no 
labor  too  severe  for  him  to  undertake,  and  the  result  has  been 
to  bring  to  a  premature  close  that  life  of  earnest  zeal,  of  self- 
denial,  of  entire  devotion  to  his  Saviour's  work." 

Some  comments  on  the  last  remark  must  be  allowed.  That  in 
all  human  probability,  the  Bishop's  valuable  life  might  have  been 
somewhat  prolonged,  if  he  had  taken  more  thought  for  himself, 
cannot  be  doubted  ;  but  the  question  may  well  be  asked,  if  he  had 
been  less  self-forgetful,  could  he  have  been  the  same  man  in 
other  respects?  An  entire  and  thorough  forgetfulness  of  self 
characterized  his  whole  life  and  labors,  and  could  not  but  enter 
also  into  questions  which  concerned  his  health.  Yet,  he  was  far 
from  being  reckless  or  imprudent.  Where  he  believed  that 
danger  existed,  he  took  every  precaution,  and  said  that  he  would 
be  glad  to  see  all  means  of  ensuring  safety  increased  rather  than 
diminished.  He  would  never,  he  said,  stand  on  one  foot,  nor 
suspend  himself  by  one  arm,  when  he  could  use  both  with  equal 
ease  and  more  safety.  He  would  not  heedlessly  or  uselessly  ex- 
pose himself  to  infection ;  but  he  never  shrank  from  visiting  those 
who  needed  his  pastoral  care,  because  they  were  ill  with  a  con- 
tagious disease  ;  and  when  called  to  make  more  than  daily  visits 
to  a  family  afflicted  with  aggravated  cases  of  scarlet  fever,  several 
of  which  terminated  fatally,  he  established  at  home  a  regular 
quarantine,  not  allowing  any  member  of  the  family  to  approach 
7 


98  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

him  until  he  had  changed  his  clothes,  and  not  seeing  his  child 
till  the  danger  was  past. 

The  same  conscientious  cautiousness  would  have  prevented 
him  from  throwing  away  his  life  or  wearing  himself  out  by  exces- 
sive labors,  if  he  had  been  at  all  aware  that  he  was  in  any  such 
danger.  The  difficulty  was  that  he  was  so  thoroughly  absorbed 
in  his  work  that  he  did  not  notice  that  it  was  wearing  upon  him 
and  could  not  be  made  to  realize  the  danger  until  it  was  too  late 
for  precautions. 


XVI. 
LIFE  AND  LABORS  IN  HARTFORD. 

A  DELIGHTFUL  letter  of  Bishop  Williams,  of  Connecticut,  is 
inserted  entire. 

MiDDLETOWN,  June,  1867. 
"  My  Dear  Mrs.  Burgess  : 

My  recollection  of  your  lamented  husband  goes  back  for 
more  than  thirty  years  ;  that  is,  to  his  first  coming  to  Hartford  in 
1834.  I  was  then  just  entering  on  my  Senior  year  in  the  col- 
lege, and  I  remember,  as  if  it  was  only  yesterday,  the  first  time 
I  ever  saw  him  in  the  chancel  at  Christ  Church.  His  slender 
form,  pale  face,  and  quiet  manner  all  marked  the  student.  His 
subdued  and  reverent  air  and  solemnly  impressive  tones,  as  un- 
mistakably marked  the  devout  man  and  earnest  pastor.  The 
impression  then  made  on  me  never  changed,  but  only  deepened, 
as  years  went  by. 

There  was  then,  as  you  will  remember,  only  one  parish  of  our 
communion  in  Hartford,  and  the  undergraduates  of  the  college 
were  your  husband's  parishioners.  In  his  parochial  report  for 
1837,  he  mentions  that  more  than  thirty  of  them  were  communi- 
cants. His  interest  in  us  was  a  very  real  one,  and  his  influence, 
though  exercised  so  gently  that  one  hardly  knew  it  was  exer- 
cised at  all,  was  correspondingly  effective.  His  nature  made 
him  unobtrusive  in  everything,  and  in  this  matter  he  was  particu- 
larly so  ;  but  there  are  many  now  living,  as  well  as  many  gone  to 
their  rest,  who  will  testify  in  the  last  day  that  they  owe  much  of  all 
that  they  have  valued  most  in  life,  to  his  suggestions  and  wise 
counsels. 

As  a  pastor,  he  was  a  model.  In  season  and  out  of  season,  let 
weather,  social  calls  ujjon  him,  even  health,  except  the  illness 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  IN  IL4RTF0RD.  99 

were  very  severe,  be  what  they  might,  each  afternoon  found 
him  at  his  work.  And  these  visits  were  pastoral  visits  in  very 
truth  ;  not  in  any  sense  merely  social  ones.  In  them  he  took 
cognizance  of,  and  care  for  all  wants,  spiritual,  mental,  bodily. 
The  afflicted,  the  sick,  the  poor,  these  were  the  recipients  of  his 
best  loved  ministrations.  He  knew  his  own  sheep,  and  they 
knew  his  voice  and  followed  him.  I  remember  more  than  one 
instance  in  which  he  undertook  the  humblest  forms  of  manual 
labor,  to  help  some  poor  widow  or  desolate  and  friendless  per- 
son. But  no  one  was  ever  cut  so  short  in  speech  by  him,  as  one 
who  attempted  to  say  something  civil  about  it.  Indeed  he  hated 
cant  of  all  sorts. 

In  his  study  his  amazing  power  of  concentrated  labor  and  his 
thorough  system,  enabled  him  to  accomplish  more  than  most  men 
can,  or,  at  all  events,  do.  His  weekly  sermons,  written  whether 
he  preached  them  or  not — and  so  resulting  in  time  in  a  large 
unused  store — were  never  postponed  for  anything  else.  But 
beyond  this,  for  what  range  of  study,  and  what  amount  of  com- 
position, did  he  not  find  time  !  Alas  !  among  all  these  continu- 
ous occupations,  one  thing  he  forgot,  or  rather  never  knew  how 
to  take,  namely,  recreation.  It  was  foreign  to  his  nature  as  well 
as  his  habits.  If  he  tried  to  take  it,  in  any  way  beyond  the  hour  of 
social  converse,  he  made  a  labor  of  it,  which  tired  him  more  than 
work. 

In  his  acquirements,  what  always  seemed  to  strike  me  most, 
was  the  way  in  which  he  combined  breadth  of  view  with  minute- 
ness of  detail.  The  two  are  certainly  not  very  often  found 
together.  They  were  in  him.  I  have  before  me  a  volume — 
Fruits  of  Endowments — which  once  belonged  to  a  very  dear 
friend  of  his  and  mine.  It  contains  a  catalogue  raisonnee  of 
the  works  of  upwards  of  two  thousand  authors  who  have  held 
'  non-cure  endowments'  in  the  mother  Church ;  and  all  along  its 
columns  there  are  corrections  of  dates,  minute  alterations,  and 
additions  of  facts,  which  attest  the  extent  of  his  bibliographical 
research.  Of  course  this  only  falls  in  with  what  has  become 
known  by  his  published  works.  But  none  knew  this  peculiarity 
as  those  who  saw  it  in  more  private  ways. 

His  studies,  however,  were  always  prosecuted  under  the 
priests'  law  of  limitation,  '  Holy  Scriptures,  and  such  studies  as 
help  to  a  knowledge  of  the  same.'  Even  when  he  delivered 
before  the  Convocation  of  the  College,  and  in  his  own  parish 
church,  that  charming  poeticaf  sketch  of  sacred  poetry,  he  pre  • 
faced  it  with  an  apology,  the  tenderness  and  solemnity  of  which 
thrilled  many  hearts.  The  graceful  Spenserian  stanza,  swelling 
onward  'till  the  ninth  billow  melts  along  the  shore,'  was  pro- 
perly adapted  to  the  tones  and  modulations  of  his  voice,  and  fell 


lOO  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

in  wonderfully  with  his  modest  personal  allusions  and  general 
line  of  thought.  I  have  heard  many  poems  delivered  in  my 
day,  but  never  one  that  impressed  me  more  than  the  one  of 
which  I  speak.  There  are  passages  in  it  that  ring  in  my  memory 
to-day  as  clearly  and  as  freshly  as  they  rung  upon  my  ear  more 
than  twenty  years  ago. 

In  social  life,  I  chiefly  knew  your  husband  before  he  had  what 
might  properly  be  called  a  home  of  his  own,  a  home  which  was 
yours  as  well  as  his.  My  recollections  of  him  here  are  asso- 
ciated with  one  bright  and  cherished  household,  the  breaking 
up  of  which  clouded  many  hearts  with  sorrow,  and  the  sunshine 
of  which  brightens  many  a  memory  to-day.  How  many  gath- 
ered to  it  as  a  centre,  in  years  that  are  gone ;  how  few  of  those 
who  once  met  there  are  now  among  the  living  ! 

'  Like  clouds  that  rake  the  mountain  summit, 
Or  waves  that  own  no  curbing  hand,' 

one  and  another  has  gone  from  earth,  till  the  recalling  of  those 
hours  carries  one  beyond  the  limits  of  the  earthly  life  ! 

Within  that  circle  his  natural  reserve  was  cast  aside,  and  a 
vein  of  playfulness  discovered  itself,  which  those  who  only  saw 
him  amid  graver  cares  and  labors  never  dreamed  of.  It  rarely 
rose  to  mirth.  Sometimes  it  unveiled  a  keen  sense  of  the  ridicu- 
lous, so  keen  as  for  the  moment — never  more — almost  to  con- 
vulse him,  and  then  all  was  calm  again.  Here,  too,  he  allowed 
his  varied  acquirements  to  appear  as  he  did  not  elsewhere,  and 
showed  what  a  conversationalist,  had  he  chosen  to  permit  him- 
self to  be,  he  might  have  been. 

With  all  his  gentleness,  no  man  could  be  severer  where  he 
deemed  severity  a  duty.  I  remember  once  when  a  thoughtless 
midergraduate  had  sent  him  a  mock  notice,  which  he  read  un- 
wittingly at  morning  service,  with  what  stern  denunciation  of 
rebuke  he  visited  the  offence  at  evening  prayer.  Few,  I  imagine, 
who  heard  his  words,  ever  forgot  them,  and  the  severity  was  felt, 
because  it  was  then,  as,  I  believe,  ever,  the  severity  not  of  anger 
but  of  sorrow. 

I  have  thus  tried,  how  imperfectly  I  fully  feel,  to  recall  the 
late  Bishop  of  Maine,  as  he  was  in  the  days  of  his  Hartford  life. 
It  is  a  calm  and  blessed  picture  that  rises  before  me,  as  I  Avrite 
of  pastor,  scholar,  man.  Herbert's  Country  Parson,  Dryden's 
Sketch  of  Bishop  Ken,  Goldsmith's  Parish  Priest,  Shakspeare's 
Scholar  Prelate,  Cowper's  Clergyman,  all  come  into  my  thoughts, 
and  from  all,  touches,  true  to  the  life,  might  be  selected. 

I  fear  there  is  little  here  that  can  be  of  service  to  you,  but 
what  there  is  comes  with  sincere  sympathy  and  cherished  recol- 
lections, from  your  friend  and  servant, 

J.  Williams." 


ELECTION  TO  THE  EPISCOPATE.  1 01 

XVII. 

ELECTION  TO  THE  EPISCOTATE. 

A  SPECIAL  Convention  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine  met  at  St. 
Stephen's  Church,  Portland,  October  4,  1847,  ^'^'^^^  Dr.  Burgess 
was  unanimously  elected  Bishop.  His  decision  having  been 
already  made,  there  was  no  occasion  for  delay,  and,  at  the  close 
of  the  General  Convention,  on  Sunday,  the  31st  of  October, 
he  was  ordained  and  consecrated  in  Christ  Church,  Hartford, 
by  Bishop  Chase,  of  Illinois,  at  that  time  the  Presiding  Bishop. 

The  sermon  was  preached  by  Bishop  Henshaw,  of  Rhode 
Island,  who,  for  five  years,  had  held  the  Episcopal  charge  of 
Maine.  Bishops  Brownell,  Eastburn,  and  Chase,  of  New 
Hampshire,  were  also  present,  and  united  in  the  conseration. 

On  Friday,  November  5th,  the  newly  consecrated  Bishop  left 
Hartford,  arriving  in  Gardiner  on  Saturday  evening,  and  on 
Sunday  the  7th  officiated  for  the  first  time  as  Rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Gardiner. 

If  Dr.  Burgess  was  in  the  habit  of  keeping  a  journal  during 
his  residence  in  Hartford,  it  must  have  been  subsequently  de- 
stroyed, only  a  few  sheets  being  found.  Of  these,  the  first  date 
is  Oct.  4,  1847  j  ^^d,  as  they  cover  the  time  of  his  election  and 
departure  from  Hartford,  a  few  extracts  may  appropriately  be 
here  inserted. 

' '  Tuesday,  October  5th.  After  various  preparations  I  left  home 
about  noon  for  the  General  Convention.  I  walked  much  on 
board,  and  thought  much  of  my  dear  parish  and  of  the  future 
which  might  be  before  me,  and  felt  how  happy  would  be  my  lot 
might  I  remain  in  my  present  place. 

Wednesday,  October  6th.  The  General  Convention  was 
opened  at  St.  John's  Church.  On  arriving  there  a  little  before 
the  time,  I  was  told  that  I  had  been  elected  by  the  Special  Con- 
vention in  Maine  to  be  their  Bishop,  and  that  Mr.  Pratt  had  been 
looking  for  me ;  and  after  I  was  in  my  seat  in  the  church,  before 
the  service,  Mr.  Pratt  called  me  out  and  gave  me  the  official 
communication.  It  could  not  be  to  me  after  all  that  had  passed 
a  matter  of  surprise ;  and  the  deep  anxiety  of  the  decision  had 
for  some  time  been  over.     God  grant  that  every  step  may  be  in 


I02  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

His  fear  and  with  His  grace  and  blessing;  as  I  am  sure  that  I 
have  wished  that  only  His  will  might  be  done !  The  Maine 
clergy  who  were  there  were  exceedingly  kind,  and  stated  that 
their  Convention  had  been  most  cordial  and  happy. 

Thursday,  October  7th.  I  wrote  and  presented  to  Mr.  Pratt 
my  acceptance  of  the  solemn  charge  committed  to  me,  if  the 
action  of  the  Convention  upon  the  subject  shall  be  harmonious 
and  unobstructed.  May  the  Holy  Spirit  sanctify  all  my  steps 
from  the  beginning  to  the  close !  Many  kind  friends  here  con- 
gratulated me  or  sympathized  with  me,  in  language  which  evinced 
their  feelings;  and  this  has  been  chiefly  pleasing  to  me,  as  ap- 
proving my  own  decision. 

Wednesday,  October  13th.  This  morning  I  learned,  to  my 
surprise,  that  my  colleague,  Dr.  Jarvis,  had  not  signed  my  testi- 
monial, and  had  alleged  as  the  ground,  my  opinions  on  the 
succession  in  the  ministry.  He  has  certainly  misunderstood  me 
greatly,  or  else  he  would  have  rejected  Hooker  for  the  same 
reason.  Drawn,  I  apprehend,  by  his  influence,  or  by  what  he  has 
said,  several  delegates,  embracing,  as  I  understood,  the  majority 
from  three  or  four  Dioceses,  have  followed  the  example.  It  is  of 
no  canonical  importance ;  but  as  I  feel  that,  in  accepting  the 
episcopate,  I  have  been  making  a  sacrifice  which  any  good  rea- 
son, however  slight,  would  have  made  me  wish  to  avoid,  I  have 
hesitated  whether  I  might  not,  after  stating  my  views  on  the  sub- 
ject in  question,  which  are  no  more  than  those  of  all  moderate 
divines  in  the  Church,  leave  it  for  those  gentlemen  to  decide 
whether  they  would  sign  the  testimonial,  and  declare  publicly 
that,  without  their  signature,  I  would  still  withdraw.  On  this 
subject  I  have  prayed  for  guidance;  and  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that,  unless  it  should  appear  to  be  the  direct,  systematic 
refusal  of  several  considerable  Dioceses,  I  should  let  the  matter 
proceed  ;  dreading  any  such  thing  as  a  most  wearying  and  unsa- 
tisfactory discussion  in  public.  God  will  govern  all ;  and,  if  I 
ought  to  go  to  Maine,  I  scarcely  ought  to  be  hindered  by  such 
opposition. 

Friday,  October,  15th.  This  morning  my  consecration  received 
the  assent  of  the  House  of  Bishops.  A  short  time  before  the  close 
of  the  session  of  the  lower  house.  Bishop  Ives  called  me  out  and 
desired  a  short  interview  after  the  adjournment.  I  waited  some 
time  after  our  house  adjourned ;  and  he  came  into  the  church 
and  asked  my  views  on  the  bapl^ismal  service.  Last  week  Bishop 
DeLancey  had,  in  a  similar  manner,  questioned  me  respecting 
the  Apostolic  succession  ;  and  I  had  frankly  answered,  and  to  his 
satisfaction.  But  I  afterwards  doubted  whether  this  was  not 
establishing  a  bad  precedent,  and  I  declined  answering  Bishop 
Ives's  cjuestions,  except  as  they  might  concern  some  fact  which 


ELECTION  TO   THE  EPISCOPATE.  103 

had  been  asserted  of  my  conduct.  I  told  him  that  I  was  always 
extremely  ready  to  state  my  opinions,  and  that,  the  moment  the 
question  of  my  consecration  should  be  finally  decided,  I  would 
answer  any  inquiry;  but  that,  till  then,  I  stood  in  the  place  of 
all  future  candidates,  some  of  whom  might  hold  opinions  more 
different  than  mine  from  his  own,  and  yet  not  such  as  to  furnish 
any  impediment  which  should  be  permitted  to  hinder  their  con- 
secration. After  some  conversation,  he  told  me  that,  in  fact,  the 
question  was  already  decided,  and  that  he  had  said  'aye,'  upon 
which  I  very  freely  declared  my  view  of  the  baptismal  service, 
to  which  he  could  desire  to  offer  no  serious  objection.  The 
whole  conversation  was  perfectly  kind,  and  I  knew  from  the 
beginning  that  my  reply  would  at  any  moment  be  satisfactory  ; 
but  I  felt  that  questions,  at  the  pleasure  of  individual  bishops, 
and  not  involving  any  just  or  real  impediment  under  the  laws 
and  doctrines  of  the  Church,  might  open  the  way  for  great  diffi- 
culties hereafter.  I  wrote  in  the  evening  my  letter  of  resignation, 
with  much  feeling  and  with  tears.  I  went  afterwards  to  a  hotel 
to  call  on  some  kind  Hartford  friends.  We  could  all  scarcely 
refrain  from  weeping. ' ' 

On  the  15th  of  October,  1847,  Dr.  Burgess  addressed  the 
following  letter  to  the  Wardens  and  Vestry  of  Christ  Church, 
Hartford. 

"  Gentlemen  :  The  informal  interview  between  us  a  few  weeks 
since,  together  with  the  intelligence  which  has  become  public,  will 
have  prepared  you  for  the  communication  which  I  am  now,  with 
a  shrinking  heart,  compelled  to  present. 

Having  been  elected  with  entire  and  cordial  unanimity  to  the 
ofhce  of  Bishop  of  our  Church  in  the  Diocese  of  Maine,  I  have 
seen,  after  much  meditation  and  very  anxious  prayers,  which 
preceded  the  event  itself,  no  sufficient  reason  for  refusing  the 
nomination.  The  necessary  testimonials  have  now  passed  through 
both  houses  of  the  General  Convention,  and  received  the  usual 
consent. 

It  is  with  the  sacrifice  of  the  strongest  feelings  which  can  attach 
a  pastor  to  a  delightful  abode,  and  the  dearest  friends,  that  I  have 
come  to  this  result.  Had  I  felt  myself  at  liberty  to  follow  merely 
my  own  wishes,  this  election  would  never  have  been  consummated. 
My  ministry  in  the  parish  of  Christ  Church,  a  ministry  of  thir- 
teen years,  has  been  one  of  so  much  happiness  on  my  part,  and 
of  so  much  harmony  and  such  uninterrupted  kindness  on  yours, 
and  has  been  attended  with  so  many  tokens  of  the  favor  and 
blessing  of  God,  that  1  cannot  close  it  without  emotions  more 
deep,  and  tender  than  in  such  a  communication  as  this,  it  might 
seem  appropriate  to  express.     I  came  amongst  you,  young  and  a 


I04  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Stranger.  I  have  passed  amongst  you  the  flower  of  my  life,  and 
every  house  has  become  to  me  a  kind  of  home.  So  happy  in 
all  social  and  pastoral  relations,  I  cannot  hope  to  be  again.  The 
sphere  to  which  I  go  is  one  in  which  the  Church  during  my  life- 
time, will  probably  furnish  no  post  like  that  which  I  relinquish. 
But  I  know  that  you  will  appreciate  the  only  motives  which  can 
impel  me,  and  I  trust  that  you  will  dismiss  me  with  the  same 
acquiescence  which  I  feel  in  what  seems  to  me  to  be  the  will  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour. 

I  therefore  present  herewith  my  resignation  of  the  Rectorship 
of  Christ  Church ;  to  which  the  Bishop  has  consented,  by  con- 
senting to  my  consecration.  This  resignation  I  desire  to  take 
effect  from  the  consecration  itself,  which  will  doubtless  be  fixed 
for  some  day  within  a  fortnight. 

May  you,  my  respected  and  beloved  friends,  be  guided  by 
heavenly  wisdom  in  the  administration  of  all  the  affairs  of  a  parish 
for  which  I  shall  always  pray  with  a  peculiar  fervency,  as  my 
first  and  most  peaceful  charge  !  May  the  good  Providence  of 
God  bring  to  you  a  wiser  and  more  faithful  pastor ;  and  may  the 
Holy  Spirit  pour  upon  you  and  those  for  whom  you  act,  such 
dews  of  His  grace,  that  this  congregation  may  flourish  more  and 
more  in  all  spiritual  blessings,  as  a  garden  which  the  Lord  hath 
planted  ! 

I  am,  and  shall  ever  remain, 

most  truly  and  affectionately, 

your  friend  and  servant  in  Christ, 

George  Burgess." 

This  letter  having  been  read  at  a  meeting  of  the  Wardens  and 
Vestry  of  the  parish,  held  at  the  vestry  room  of  the  parish  on  the 
1 6th  day  of  October,  it  was  voted,  that  the  letter  of  resignation 
of  the  Rector  be  referred  to  the  parish,  and  that  a  meeting  of 
the  parish  be  held  at  the  Chapel,  on  Thursday,  October  21st,  at 
7  o'clock  P.  M. 

At  this  meeting  the  following  resolutions  were  presented  and 
passed  unanimously : 

The  Rev.  George  Burgess,  D.  D.,  having  been  elected  Bishop 
of  the  Diocese  of  Maine,  and  having  thereupon  tendered  his 
resignation  of  the  rectorship  of  this  parish  to  take  effect  from  the 
time  of  his  consecration  : 

Resolved,  That  we  accept  his  resignation  with  the  profoundest 
sorrow  and  regret;  sorrow,  that  he  is  so  soon  to  be  removed  from 
us,  and  the  tie  to  be  severed  which  has  united  us  in  the  most  sacred 
relation  for  the  full  period  of  thirteen  years  ;  regret,  that  this 
parish  is  to  be  deprived  of  his  prudent  counsels,  his  invaluable 
services,  his  holy  ministrations,  and  of  those  patient,  faithful,  and 


FAREWELL   TO  HARTFORD.  105 

most  abundant  labors  of  love,  by  which  this  church  has  been  so 
long  edified  and  strengthened,  its  borders  enlarged,  and  its  pros- 
perity under  God  permanently  insured. 

Resolved,  That  the  warmest  affections  of  the  members  of  this 
parish  will  follow  their  beloved  pastor  to  the  new  field  of  higher 
responsibility  and  more  arduous  duties,  to  which  in  the  Provi- 
dence of  God  he  has  been  called  ;  and  that  we  will  never  cease 
to  offer  our  earnest  prayers  to  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  that 
His  blessing  may  follow  His  faithful  servant  in  the  sequel  of  his 
life,  as  it  has  in  its  beginning. 

Resolved,  That  the  Treasurer  of  the  Parish  be  directed  to  pay 
to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Burgess  his  accustomed  salary  until  the  first  day 
of  April,  1848. 

A  true  copy  from  the  record, 

Attest,         John  S.  Gray,  Clerk. 


xvni. 

FAREWELL  TO  HARTFORD. 

On  the  Sunday  before  his  consecration  as  Bishop,  the  24th  day 
of  October,  Dr.  Burgess  preached  his  last  two  sermons  as  Rector 
of  the  Parish.  The  concluding  passage  of  each  will  be  given 
without  comment. 

That  in  the  morning  was  from  the  words,  "  Pray  for  us,"  found 
in  the  eighteenth  verse  of  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  Hebrews,  and 
closed  with  these  words: — 

"After  this  life  there  is  communion  still ;  but,  on  one  side  at 
least,  it  is  no  longer  the  communion  of  prayer  ;  because  they  have 
no  need  of  our  prayers  who  are  departed,  and  sleep  in  Jesus. 

But  till  then,  my  brethren,  pray  for  us  ;  and  let  us  say,  with 
the  Prophet  Samuel,  '  God  forbid  that  we  should  sin  against  the 
Lord  in  ceasing  to  pray  for  you.'  It  is  all  which  most  of  us, 
in  most  circumstances,  can  do  for  one  another.  Each  must  be 
left  to  contend,  comparatively  alone,  with  the  difficulties  of  his 
own  duty,  and  the  trials  to  which  he  is  summoned.  We  must 
live  very  much  alone,  in  that  which  is  most  momentous,  the  real 
struggles  of  the  soul,  the  spiritual  life  within  ;  and  alone  we  must 
die.  Our  duties  call  us  away  from  those  who  are  dearest ;  friends 
cannot  choose  their  own  lot,  side  by  side  ;  families  are  scattered 
afar,  and  every  tie  is  interrupted.  But  all  ties  can  be  preserved 
by  prayer,  till  they  shall  be  revived  in  some  higher  form,  in  a 


lo6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

higher  state  of  being.  Blessed  be  God  for  this  privilege,  that 
we  can  be  together  in  soul,  though  apart;  together  before  Him, 
though  apart  in  body.  Pray  for  us  when  you  are  assembled  in 
the  house  of  God  ;  pray  for  us,  when  you  pray  for  the  Church  in 
your  family  offerings  ;  pray  for  us,  in  the  chamber  of  your  secret 
devotions  ;  pray  for  us,  when  you  think  of  us,  when  you  hear  of 
us,  when  you  remember  all  which  has  passed  between  us ;  and 
by  the  power  of  Christian  prayer,  through  our  great  High  Priest, 
you  will  bless  us  and  our  labors  ;  you  will  grow  in  grace  ;  and 
you  and  we  shall  be  preserved  in  that  love  which  never  dies." 

In  the  afternoon,  the  text  was  taken  from  Acts  xx.  26.  ' '  Where- 
fore I  take  you  to  record  this  day,  that  I  am  pure  from  the  blood 
of  all  men." 

After,  with  deep  humility,  expressing  his  sense  of  his  defi- 
ciencies, and  yet  claiming  a  right  to  use  the  Apostle's  language 
with  reference  to  the  main  tenor  of  his  course,  he  concluded  with 
these  words:  — 

"And  now,  my  dear  brethren,  dear  to  me  beyond  all  my 
power  to  say,  dear  to  me  wherever  I  may  be,  while  I  live  and 
when  I  die,  the  time  has  arrived  in  which  I  must  commend  you 
to  God  and  the  word  of  His  grace,  and  leave  you  to  His  bless- 
ing. I  had  ever  supposed  that  such  a  time,  whenever  it  might 
come,  would  find  me  in  my  chamber  of  death;  and  that  my  head 
would  be  laid  beneath  those  sods,  which  cover  so  many  whom 
I  have  attended  to  the  borders  of  eternity,  and  with  whom  I  hope 
for  a  blessed  resurrection.  But  the  Providence  of  God  has,  as 
I  have  fully  believed,  called  me  to  a  post  more  honorable,  per- 
haps, but  far  less  inviting  to  my  wishes,  and  which  I  should  cer- 
tainly, had  I  deemed  myself  permitted,  have  declined  from  the 
first  instant.  I  have  no  thought  of  repining.  I  ought  not  to 
speak  of  any  sacrifice.  I  go,  as  a  soldier,  to  the  spot  which  is 
assigned  me  in  the  common  warfare,  and  only  because  it  is  assigned 
me  by  the  Captain  of  our  salvation.  But  I  am  leaving  those,  from 
whom  I  cannot  part  without  feelings,  which  I  must  not  attempt 
to  utter.  These  sacred  walls,  these  solemn  hymns,  this  beloved 
congregation,  this  crowded  altar,  this  peaceful  Chapel,  the  font, 
the  Bible,  our  Morning  and  Evening,  our  Sunday  and  our  Week- 
day Prayers,  the  venerated  Bishop,  the  endeared  associates,  the 
cherished  College,  all  which  belong  to  my  first,  and  in  one  sense, 
my  only  Parish,  will  be  often,  often  present  to  my  heart,  in  other 
scenes  and  perhaps  less  pleasing  duties.  But  one  single  thought 
prevails;  and  I  am  strong:  Fellow  Christians,  we  part  but  for  a 
little  while.  All  of  us  who  are  joined  in  the  communion  of  saints 
shall  certainly,  after  we  have  labored  for  a  little  while,  meet  in 


FAREWELL   TO  LL4RTF0RD.  107 

rest  upon  the  everlasting  shores.  .Oh,  may  God  but  grant  that 
this  communion,  here  and  forever,  may  be  the  ha])piness  of  every 
soul  which  parts  from  me  now  with  one  thought  of  regret  or 
kindness." 

Under  this  date  his  journal  contains  the  following  record  : — 

"Sunday,  October  24.  A  day  of  most  affecting  recollections. 
I  went  to  the  Sunday-school,  and  said,  with  much  diflficulty,  a 
few  parting  words  to  the  children.  There  was  not  one  of  them, 
perhaps,  that  remembered  any  other  pastor  there;  and  I  could  not 
say  to  them  all  I  intended.  In  the  morning  I  preached  from  the 
words,  'Pray  for  us.'  The  afternoon  was  cloudy  and  at  last 
rainy,  but  the  church  was  filled,  and  there  were  not  a  few  strangers 
present.  I  was  sustained  through  the  service  and  sermon  with 
much  calmness,  and  was  grateful  to  God  for  this  support.  My 
text  was  the  words,  '  I  take  you  to  record  this  day,  that  I  am 

pure  from  the  blood  of  all  men.' had  brought  their 

children  to  be  baptized ;  the  hour  was  late  and  the  afternoon  dark ; 
so  that,  before  the  close,  lights  were  brought,  and  I  could  not 
see  the  faces  of  the  people.  It  was  probably  well;  and  thus  I 
parted  from  that  most  dear  parish  and  church,  where,  through 
thirteen  years,  I  have  ministered  in  peace.  God  be  eternally 
praised  for  all  the  mercies  of  those  years,  and  above  all,  for  what- 
ever spiritual  blessing  has  attended  my  labors  amongst  an  affec- 
tionate and  united  people !  And  oh,  may  His  grace  rest  upon 
them  that  they  may  walk  in  His  fear,  and  that,  unworthy  sinner 
as  I  am,  I  may  meet  them,  through  the  redeeming  blood  of  Christ, 
in  the  mansions  of  eternal  peace ! 

Saturday,  October  30.  This  has  been,  upon  the  whole,  a  quiet 
and  solemn  day;    notwithstanding  the   many  hindrances  of  so 

much  preparation  and  the  arrival  of  friends I  sat  in  my 

study  through  a  part  of  the  afternoon,  and  laid  before  God  the 
solemn  thoughts  of  my  heart.  Oh,  may  His  grace,  on  which  I 
utterly,  utterly  depend,  be  with  me  in  these  trying  hours,  and  in 
all  the  events  to  which  they  open  the  way ! 

Sunday,  October  31.  The  day  of  my  birth,  and  now  of  my  intro- 
duction to  an  office  and  state,  which  can  close  only,  in  the  common 
course  of  events,  and  should  I  not  prove  faithless,  with  my  death. 
A  day  most  high  and  solemn ;  and  may  God  so  fill  me  with  His 
grace,  that  the  remembrance  may  ever  be  fresh  in  my  mind,  and 
be  recalled  with  joy  in  eternity!  I  was  sustained  in  an  humble, 
cheerful  frame  through  almost  all  the  holy  services,  and  although 
it  seemed  to  me  like  the  last  change,  in  many  respects,  yet  I  was 
enabled  to  intrust  all  to  the  Lord  our  Saviour,  to  plead  His 
merits,  and  to  resign  myself,  1  trust,  to  His  sacred  pleasure.  As 
it  was  the  Lord's  day,  few  of  the  clergy  could  be  present;  Messrs. 


loS  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Bent,  Blake,  Fales,  and  my  brother  from  Maine ;  Dr.  Kip,  Mr. 
Storrs,  Mr.  Hubbard,  of  North  Carolina;  Messrs.  Coxe,  Jack- 
son, Payne,  Williams,  Jarvis,  Fisher,  John  Morgan,  Long,  and 
Dr.  Totten.  Bishop  Henshaw  preached  on  the  words, '  That  thou 
mayest  learn  how  thou  oughtest  to  behave  thyself  in  the  house  of 
God,  which  is  the  Church  of  the  living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground 
of  the  truth.'     The  church  was  filled  with  an  immense  audience, 

as,  I  think,  I  never  saw  it  before As  the  morning  services 

reached  till  half-past  two,  we  had  no  service  in  the  afternoon ;  . 
but  St.  John's  Church  was  opened  at  half-past  three,  having  been 
closed  in  the  morning.  Bishop  Eastburn  preached  at  Christ 
Church  in  the  evening,  on  the  words,  '  Without  God  in  the  world,' 
and  I,  for  the  last  time,  read  Evening  Prayer.  It  happened  that 
I  was  left  at  the  church  after  the  congregation  had  departed,  and 
the  several  Bishops,  except  the  eldest,  having  met  in  the  vestry- 
room,  had  signed  my  letters  of  consecration.  As  I  passed  down 
the  dimly-lighted  aisle  of  that  beautiful  house,  thoughts  came 
which  I  could  not  have  paused  to  indulge,  and  I  left  the  doors 
with  one  brief  prayer  from  the  heart  as  I  parted." 

Though  the  Bishop  preserved  his  calmness  during  the  public 
services,  he  broke  down  completely  as  soon  as  he  was  alone,  and 
it  was  some  time  before  he  recovered  his  composure  sufficiently 
to  join  the  family  at  the  dinner  table. 

"Wednesday,  November  3.  This  was  a  day  of  immense  fatigue, 
for,  unable  to  visit  my  parishioners,  I  had  appointed  this  day 
for  the  parting  visits  of  such  of  them  as  wished  my  kind  desires, 
counsel,  or  blessing.  Accordingly  I  remained  at  Mrs.  Morgan's 
through  the  day  and  evening;  and  a  great  company  of  kind 
visitors  came  from  morning  to  a  late  hour  of  the  night.  Many, 
many  were  the  tears  which  were  shed ;  and  I  had  the  opportunity 
of  giving  some  advice,  which,  I  hope,  may  not  be  without  fruit 
hereafter.     But,  to  body  and  mind,  the  day  was  trying  indeed." 

How  trying  it  had  been,  his  appearance  in  the  evening  plainly 
testified,  for  he  looked  as  if  he  had  passed  through  a  serious  ill- 
ness. 

The  next  day,  November  4,  he  visited  the  sick  of  the  parish 
who  could  not  come  to  him,  and  then — 

"Took  tea  in  that  kindest  of  homes,  the  house  of  Dr.  Sumner. 
For  the  last  time,  I  looked  on  our  dear  habitation ;  made  my  last 
pastoral  call,  which  was  on  Mrs.  Sigourney,  at  a  late  hour  of  the 
evening;  and  returned  to  one  more  night's  rest  under  the  roof 
of  my  faithful  and  excellent  friend,  and    almost  mother,  Mrs. 


INTEREST  IN  OLD  FRIENDS  RETAINED.  109 

Morgan.     As  we  were  at  prayers,  Mr.  B called,  to  my  great 

joy;  as  I  was  enabled  to  tell  him  of  all  which  I  had  done,  in 
the  affairs  of  our  trusteeship.  Several  of  my  parishioners  have 
given  us  presents  of  beauty  and  value ;  and  all  have  been  kind 
beyond  description.  May  God  remember  and  reward  their 
affectionate  goodness ! ' ' 

"Friday,  November  5,"  after  mentioning  some  friends  who 
"  rose  early  and  took  leave  of  us  with  every  sign  of  kind  and 
tender  regard  and  many  tears,"  he  added,  "  all  felt  as  we  felt  3 
and  I  was  glad  to  hide  my  face  when  I  was  in  the  carriage." 


XIX. 

INTEREST  IN  OLD  FRIENDS  RETAINED. 

Before  recoimting  the  Bishop's  labors  in  Maine,  it  is  proper 
to  show  how  his  affections  clung  to  his  first  parish.  With  many 
of  his  people  he  maintained  a  frequent  correspondence,  and  until 
a  few  years  of  his  death  he  made  annual  visits  to  Hartford. 

It  was  on  one  of  these  he  remarked,  that  he  seemed  only  then 
to  appreciate  the  extent  of  the  sacrifice  that  he  made  in  leaving 
Hartford.  He  fully  realized  what  it  was  to  leave  so  many  dear 
friends ;  but  he  did  not  realize  how  much  there  was  in  Hart- 
ford itself  that  was  attractive.  He  said  that  while  thei;^  as  Rector 
of  the  parish  he  was  so  much  absorbed  by  his  duties,  and  op- 
pressed by  the  weight  of  responsibility  resting  upon  him,  that  he 
had  no  time  to  look  around.  But  when  he  returned  as  a  visitor 
and  looked  around  the  noble  church,  crowded  with  an  attentive 
congregation,  in  which  he  had  ministered  so  many  years,  and 
then  at  the  beautiful  city  and  the  lovely  country  surrounding  it, 
he  felt  its  attractions  as  he  never  did  before.  But  he  never  re- 
gretted the  step  he  had  taken ;  never  doubted  that  he  had  been 
guided  aright. 

In  a  letter,  dated  April  12,  1848,  he  writes  : — • 

"I  rejoice  to  hear  that  Mr.  Chauncey  is  so  much  esteemed 
and  beloved.  The  kind  and  stedfast  people  of  the  Parish  of 
Christ  Church  must  make  any  faithful  clergyman  happy  whose 
lot   is  cast  amongst  them.     I  look  back  upon  my  long  abode 


1 1  o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  B  L  'R  GESS. 

there,  with  recollections  so  delightful  and  in  other  instances  so 
sorrowful,  and  yet  always  so  sacred,  as  it  seems  to  me,  can 
hardly  be  the  portion  of  others.  But  I  have  never  doubted 
that  I  was  right  in  coming  to  this  post.  Our  hills  are  not  so 
green,  nor  does  our  clear  sparkling  river  glide  through  such 
meadows,  nor  is  our  town  much  more  than  a  rude  village  in 
comparison,  nor  is  our  church,  pretty  and  quiet  as  it  is,  like  that 
thronged  and  stately  temple ;  but  then,  here  are  the  souls  of  so 
many  men,  spread  over  so  wide  a  territory,  and  so  much  is  to 
be  done,  and  the  harder  it  may  be  to  do  it,  the  more  is  it 
needed ;  and  in  the  thought  that  I  am  needed,  and  that  whatever 
I  can  accomplish  is  a  true  service  to  the  cause  of  Christ  in  so 
broad  a  sphere,  I  am  abundantly  happy." 

And  again,  in  the  same  year,  he  wrote  to  a  Hartford  friend  : — 

"You  can  hardly  think  how  strange  is  the  feeling  with  which 
I  see  a  Hartford  newspaper.  I  seemed,  when  I  left,  to  die,  as 
it  were  to  so  many  connections  ;  and  now,  it  seems  as  if  I  looked 
back  into  a  world  which  I  had  left.  But  not  the  less,  believe 
me,  do  I  hail  every  message  or  messenger  that  comes  thence  ; 
and  not  the  less  does  my  heart  glow  for  all  my  dear  friends, 
amongst  whom  you  and  yours  have  a  foremost  place." 

And  again,  having  heard  that  Mrs.  Nathan  Morgan,  the  lady 
with  whom  he  lived  during  the  first  twelve  years  of  his  ministry 
in  Hartford,  had  rented  her  house  to  her  pastor,  he  wrote  from 
Gardiner,  under  date  Sept.  i,  1854: — 

''  It  wiUnot  be  so  strange  to  see  Dr.  Clark  as  any  other  person 
out  of  your  family.  So  long  has  it  been,  not  by  right,  but  by 
your  kindness,  a  parsonage,  that  it  will  be  almost  natural  to  en- 
counter there  the  Rector  of  Christ  Church.  How  many  delight- 
ful hours  and  happy  months  have  I  spent,  looking  out  every  day 
upon  the  same  trees  !  I  could  easily  drop  some  tears  upon  my 
paper,  if  I  should  give  way  to  all  the  thoughts  which  come  into 
my  mind  in  the  remembrance  of  my  old  study.  But  what  is 
past  has  not  been  in  vain.  I  hope  that,  sinful  as  my  neglect  of 
duty  has  been,  and  much  as  I  recall  only  to  lament  it,  yet  both 
I,  and  you,  and  many  others,  may  be  permitted  to  praise  God 
eternally  that  we  were  permitted  to  worship  and  serve  Him  in 
His  holy  Church  together.  Thus  far  He  has  brought  us ;  and 
let  us  serve  Him,  and  trust  Him,  my  dear  friend,  till  our  work 
and  pilgrimage  are  over.  It  will  be  soon  enough  ;  the  time  that 
remains  for  growing  in  grace  and  for  doing  good  is  short :  let  us 
not  waste  it,  either  in  trifles  or  in  unavailing  sorrows ;  but  en- 
deavor cheerfully  and  faithfully  to  give  all  diligence  that  we  may 


INTEREST  IN  OLD  FRIENDS  RETAINED.  Ill 

make  our  calling  and  election  sure.  Then,  all  will  certainly  be 
well  in  a  little  while."  "  You  will  not  suppose,  I  am  sure,  that, 
if  I  leave  much  of  my  correspondence  with  my  Hartford  friends 
to  take  place  through  my  dear  Avife,  it  indicates  any  want  of 
affectionate  remembrance.  It  is  not  well  possible  for  me,  with- 
out neglecting  duties,  to  give  any  very  large  amount  of  time  to 
correspondence  with  my  most  beloved  friends.  But,  I  trust  that, 
as  long  as  I  can  handle  a  pen,  I  shall  never  cease  to  use  it  some- 
times, in  addressing  a  friend  like  her  who  for  so  many  years 
was  my  daily  associate,  and  never  weary  in  all  which  could  con- 
tribute to  my  comfort  and  happiness.  You  may  be  sure  of  this  ; 
and  you  will  never  think  of  imputing  my  silence  to  any  motive 
that  is  at  variance  with  the  truest  and  most  affectionate  gratitude." 
"  In  the  midst  of  this  changing  world,  which  seems  to  be  glid- 
ing from  beneath  our  feet  as  one  event  comes  to  us  after  another, 
where  shall  we  rest,  in  health  or  in  sickness,  if  not  in  the  shelter 
of  God's  pavilion,  at  the  feet  of  our  gracious  Saviour  !  Blessed 
be  His  holy  name  that  we  can  there  have  peace,  that  He  will 
cast  out  none  who  come  to  Him  ;  and  that  in  the  time  of  trouble 
He  is  especially  near ;  as,  when  He  was  upon  earth.  He  went 
about  doing  good,  amongst  all  who  suffered.  You  will  look  up 
to  Him,  I  hope,  in  every  trouble,  and  through  Him,  to  that 
world  without  tears,  which  is  so  near.  I  offer  my  poor  prayers 
constantly,  that  you  may  have  all  which  God  gives  to  them  that 
love  Him." 

Three  letters  are  added  to  close  this  part,  two  to  persons  under 
affliction,  and  one  to  a  young  person  who  had  lately  been  con- 
firmed. 

Gardiner,  December  27,  1847. 
' '  My  dear  Mrs.  Killam  :  I  have  just  heard  of  the  blow  which  has 
fallen  upon  your  family  circle,  and  upon  all  who  knew  and  loved 
your  excellent  sister.  As  I  have  recently  written  to  Mr.  Tudor, 
and  received  his  kind  reply,  I  thought  that  it  might  be  better, 
perhaps,  to  address  a  letter  to  you,  which  you  can  easily  show  to 
him,  if  you  think  that  it  would  gratify  him  in  his  affliction.  Well 
as  he  is  prepared  for  that  affliction  by  its  gradual  approach,  and 
by  all  the  rich  consolation  which  the  character  of  her  life  and 
death  has  so  abundantly  afforded,  I  presume  that  it  will  still 
bring  feelings  which  he  could  never  have  fully  imagined  before 
the  actual  arrivah  of  the  parting  hour.  May  God  bestow  upon 
him  the  grace  which  may  sustain  him  in  patience  ;  and  grant 
him  such  a  firm  and  humble  faith,  and  such  a  peaceful  hope  in 
Christ,  that  he  may  pass  cheerfully  through  the  remainder  of  his 
pilgrimage,  in  the  prospect  which  is  open  to  us  by  the  Gospel, 


112  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

of  '  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first-born,  whose 
names  are  written  in  heaven,  and  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect'  ! 

I  know,  my  dear  Mrs.  Killam,  that  it  must  have  been  a  pecu- 
liar trial  to  you,  to  be  prevented  by  your  own  ill-health  from 
much,  perhaps  from  all,  attendance  on  your  sister  in  her  last 
days.  Yet,  it  must  comfort  you  to  know  that  there  was  no  pos- 
sible alleviation  of  suffering  which  can  be  furnished  by  the  affec- 
tion of  children,  consort  or  friends,  which  was  not  gathered 
around  her  death-bed.  Scarcely  ever  have  I  met  a  person  who 
had  so  strongly  fixed  the  love  of  those  who,  for  many  years,  had 
enjoyed  her  acquaintance.  I  did  not  know  her  till  she  was  al- 
ready somewhat  enfeebled,  or,  at  least,  disposed  to  a  more  re- 
tired habit  of  life ;  and,  though  I  fully  perceived  and  cordially 
appreciated  her  excellencies,  yet  I  was  often  much  struck  by  the 
strong  feeling  of  those  who  remembered  her  at  an  earlier  period. 
To  have  had  a  dear  friend,  on  whose  life  we  can  thus  look  back, 
is  itself  a  blessed  privilege  ;  but,  in  Christ,  we  have,  what  is  in- 
finitely more,  the  hope  of  enjoying  the  same  communion  in  a 
world  where  it  shall  be  perfect  and  endless. 

My  thoughts  often  recur  to  you,  and  the  kind  expressions 
which  you  employed  at  our  last  interview ;  and  I  would  gladly 
communicate  to  you,  by  writing,  any  satisfaction  which  you 
might  have  been  able  to  receive  from  my  visits,  had  I  remained 
in  Hartford.  I  could  only  have  spoken,  when  you  were  suffer- 
ing, of  things  which  are  quite  familar  to  your  mind  ;  but  which 
may  be  made,  by  a  malady  like  yours,  particularly  difficult  to 
hold  fast  at  all  seasons.  A  mind  always  active  and  imaginative, 
as  I  very  well  know,  while  it  has  remarkable  facilities  for  apply- 
ing some  truths  to  its  own  benefit,  is  in  danger  of  losing  sight  of 
others ;  or  else,  of  losing  that  clearness  of  view  which  is  most 
full  of  comfort,  and  losing  it  through  the  very  copiousness  of 
its  own  operations.  There  is  a  boundless  space  for  thought  and 
for  conjecture,  in  the  subjects  which  are  presented  to  us  by  reve- 
lation, and  which  become  matter  of  faith.  It  is  not  wrong  that 
the  understanding  and  the  fancy  should  be  exercised  upon  them  ; 
but  the  simplest  truths  of  the  Gospel  are,  after  all,  the  most  pre- 
cious. Nothing  will  supply  the  want  of  these ;  and  nothing  else 
has  the  same  power  to  soothe,  to  strengthen,  and  to  satisfy. 
The  highest  and  the  humblest  intellect  are  here  alike.  That 
'  God  was,  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself,  not 
imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them ;'  that  Christ  is  '  the  way, 
the  truth,  and  the  life;'  that  'there  is  no  other  name  under 
heaven  whereby  we  must  be  saved  ;'  that  '  him  that  cometh  to 
Him  He  will  in  nowise  cast  out;'  and  that  they  that  believe 
must  be  careful  to  maintain  good  works ;  these  are  truths  with 


INTEREST  IN  OID  FRIENDS  RETAINED.  113 

which  we  can  never  dispense  ;  and  it  is  in  meditation  on  these 
and  such  as  these  that  we  shall  find  peace.  They  are  to  be  ap- 
plied to  all  circumstances ;  they  are  to  be  taken  in  connection 
with  all  the  glorious  revelations  of  the  life  to  come  ;  there  is 
nothing  which  we  can  know  or  think  that  may  not  add  to  our 
happiness  if  viewed  in  the  light  of  such  truths;  but  these  must 
be  the  foundation  of  that  hope  on  which  we  are  to  build  for 
eternity.  I  trust,  my  dear  friend,  that  your  heart  rests  upon 
them ;  and  that,  however  far  your  imagination  may  at  any  time 
wander,  your  heart  always  seeks  its  repose  in  *  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus.' 

The  anxiety  of  Mrs.  Tudor  to  see  her  grand-daughter's  little 
infant,  reminded  me  of  a  similar  instance  here.  A  young  lady, 
who  was  on  her  death-bed  when  I  came,  and  whose  last  hours 
I  had  the  happiness  of  witnessing,  one  who  died  in  all  the  peace 
of  a  faith  long  proved  and  tried,  had  the  same  desire  to  see  the 
young  child  of  a  brother,  which  was  but  a  few  weeks  old.  Two 
days  before  her  death,  they  arrived  ;  and  when  she  had  seen  the 
child,  she  felt  as  if  every  wish  had  been  granted,  and  believed 
that  she  would  die  that  very  night ;  and  she  even  expressed  the 
thought  that  possibly  it  might  be  permitted  to  her,  in  the  world 
to  which  she  was  going,  to  watch  over  that  little  one  hereafter. 
I  mention  it  only  as  an  instance  of  the  affinity  between  the  inno- 
cence of  infancy  and  the  holiness  of  Christian  death. 

I  am,  my. dear  Mrs.  Killam, 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

George  Burgess." 

Gardiner,  Me.,  Oct.  2,  1848. 

"My  Dear  Sir:  It  is  but  two  or  three  days  since  I  heard 
of  your  great  loss ;  and,  although  I' knew  before  that  Mrs.  Nichols 
was  regarded  as  failing  in  health,  I  was  not  aware  that  her  danger 
was  so  immediate.  When  I  saw  her  in  June,  she  appeared  to 
me,  perhaps,  more  weak  in  some  respects,  yet  less  liable  to  some 
of  the  troubles  which  she  had  apprehended ;  and  I  hoped  that 
she  might  yet  have  many  days  before  her.  It  has  pleased  God 
that  it  should  be  otherwise ;  and  we  must  all  be  thankful  now 
that  the  last  two  or  three  years  had  so  far  prepared  the  minds  of 
her  friends,  as  well  as  her  own,  for  a  peaceful  though  painful 
separation  at  last. 

Mrs.  Nichols  was  one  whom  I  always  most  deeply  respected, 
and  sincerely  loved  ;  and  these  sentiments  grew  with  the  years  of 
our  acquaintance ;  till  I  felt  that  there  were  few  whose  friendship 
I  ought  so  much  to  value,  or  whose  character  I  could  so  much 
revere.  Her  conscientiousness  in  duty,  and  her  benevolence  of 
heart,  were  visible  to  all ;  but  I  saw,  as  her  pastor,  the  increasing 


114  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

signs  of  a  ripeness  of  piety,  a  humility  and  a  delight  in  the 
service  of  God,  which  seemed  to  be  making  her  more  and  more 
'meet  for  an  inheritance  with  the  saints  in  light.'  She  had  lived 
an  eminently  useful  life,  and  had  been  abundantly  honored  in 
her  generation.  Much  prosperity  had  been  awarded  to  her,  and 
it  was  not  envied  in  one  so  exemplary ;  and  when  she  was  afflicted, 
the  effect  upon  her  own  heart  was  the  best  token  that  she  received 
it  as  the  chastisement  of  Him  who  chastens  those  whom  He  loves. 
I  believe  that  few  lives  have  been  more  honored  or  more  happy. 

You,  my  dear  sir,  are  called  to  the  most  tender  of  all  human 
trials.  I  will  not  say  more  of  it  than  to  assure  you  of  my  affec- 
tionate sympathy  and  prayers.  But  I  know  that  you  will  be  sus- 
tained by  the  humble  hope  of  a  day,  which  cannot  be  very 
distant  from  any  of  us,  when  all  this  period  of  trial  shall  be  ex- 
changed for  that  world,  where  the  just  are  united  and  made  per- 
fect. I  trust  that,  in  resignation  to  the  divine  will,  and  in  reliance 
on  the  redeeming  mercy  of  God  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour, 
you  will  be  enabled  to  await  that  day  in  peace ;  and  that,  when 
it  arrives,  you  will  'know  in  whom  you  have  believed,'  and  will 
be  found  a  follower  of  '  them  who,  through  faith  and  patience, 
inherit  the  promises.' 

Do  not  trouble  yourself  to  answer  this  letter,  unless  at  some 
moment  of  entire  leisure ;  as  I  write  only  to  satisfy  my  own  feel- 
ings. I  beg,  as  does  Mrs.  Burgess,  to  be  very  affectionately 
remembered  to  Mrs.  Toucey  and  the  other  members  of  your 
family. 

I  am,  my  dear  sir,  most  truly,  your  faithful  friend, 

George  Burgess." 

C.  Nichols,  Esq. 

Gardiner,  Me.,  July  23,  1S51. 

"My  Dear :     When  I  met  your  father,  a  few  weeks 

since,  in  New  York,  he  told  me  that  you  had  lately  received 
confirmation;  and  expressed  at  the  same  time  a  great  confidence 
in  the  sincerity  and  earnestness  of  your  religious  purposes,  and 
a  fatherly  anxiety  that  you  might  so  persevere  as  to  be  always 
happy  in  your  Christian  duties,  and  to  furnish  a  powerful  exam- 
ple to  your  younger  sister  and  brothers.  I  too  have  a  great  in- 
terest in  them  as  well  as  in  you ;  and,  therefore,  I  shall  venture 
to  address  to  you  a  few  words,  just  as  if  I  were  still,  what  I  once 
was,  your  own  pastor  and  frequent  guest. 

I  do  not  doubt,  my  dear ,  that  you  have  been  confirmed, 

with  a  simple  desire  to  fulfil  your  duty ;  to  take  upon  you  your 
baptismal  covenant;  and,  by  God's  grace,  to  walk  in  it  all  the 
days  of  your  life.  You  have,  in  this,  done  well,  and  chosen 
the  better  part;  and  in  having  so  early  made  your  choice,  have 
placed  yourself  where  you  have  the  best  warrant  to  expect  the 


INTEREST  IN  OID  FRIENDS  RETAINED.  115 

blessing  of  your  heavenly  Father,  who  has  said  that  His  holy 
wisdom,  with  all  its  treasures,  shall  be  found  by  those  who  seek 
it  early.  I  trust  that  you  will  never  think  for  a  single  hour  that 
you  have  been  hasty.  There  are  persons  who  are  but  too  ready 
to  treat  the  religion  of  the  young  as  if  it  could  not  be  settled  and 
constant.  But  they  are  greatly  mistaken ;  for  every  step  which 
we  take  in  the  right  way  makes  all  the  following  steps  so  much 
the  more  easy.  Never  allow  youself  to  doubt  that  you  have  done 
as  you  ought,  in  coming  to  confirmation,  and,  as  I  hope  you 
have  done  or  will  at  no  distant  day,  to  the  Holy  Communion. 
If  you  should  feel  that  your  mind  had  been  in  any  respect  less 
prepared  than  it  should  have  been,  pray  that  it  may  be  more 
prepared  hereafter  for  every  renewal  of  your  covenant  at  the 
Lord's  Table.  Pray  for  a  deeper  repentance,  a  stronger  faith, 
a  warmer  love,  and  a  stricter  watchfulness;  but  never  permit 
yourself  to  think  that  you  could  have  been  wrong  in  seeking  the 
grace  of  God  through  His  own  ordinance,  or  in  assuming  your 
baptismal  engagements  by  your  own  act,  as  was  your  bounden 
duty. 

You  have  now  before  you  life,  with  all  its  trial ;  and  your  work 
is,  to  persevere  patiently  in  well-doing.  I  am  sure  that  you  meet 
temptations,  though  I  do  not  know  exactly  in  what  form  they 
would  be  strongest.  It  will  be  well  for  you  to  watch  yourself, 
and  observe  where  you  are  weakest,  and,  perhaps,  to  ask  the 
advice  of  your  parents  or  some  dear  friend ;  and  wherever  you 
are  most  in  danger,  to  strive  there  to  be  best  armed,  with  prayer 
and  stedfast  efforts.  I  do  not  think  that  you  will  be  as  much 
attracted  as  many  young  people  by  levity  and  the  brilliancy  of 
worldly  pleasures.  It  will  probably  be  easy  for  you  to  pur- 
sue a  course  of  correct  and  blameless  conduct;  blameless,  I 
mean,  in  the  general  view  of  others,  though  your  own  heart  will 
always  tell  you  of  much  which  conscience  must  condemn.  But 
be  always  endeavoring  to  '  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin 
that  doth  so  easily  beset  you,'  and  to  add  something  to  your 
character,  something  which  may  make  you  a  fitter  and  more  lovely 
example  of  the  effects  of  religion,  so  that  you  may  thus  the  more 
honor  and  serve  your  Saviour,  and  win  others  to  go  with  you  to 
eternal  joy.  Above  all  things,  however,  do  not  trust  in  yourself, 
nor  forget  that,  whatever  you  may  do,  you  will  be  compelled  to 
acknowledge  yourself  an  unprofitable  servant,  and  to  rely  only, 
as  a  sinner,  on  the  Saviour  of  sinners.  You  may  not  feel  in  all 
respects  as  those  do  who  have  lived  many  years  in  habits  of  bold 
wickedness  or  of  extreme  thoughtlessness,  and  then  have  been 
brought  to  repentance ;  but  let  it  still  be  the  foundation  of  all 
your  hope  that  the  Lord  of  glory  died,  the  just  for  the  unjust, 
that  He  might  bring  us  to  God;  and  that,  because  He  died,  the 


Ii6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Holy  Ghost  is  given  us,  to  cleanse  our  hearts  and  make  them  a 
holy  temple,  and  prepare  them  for  the  pureness  of  heaven.  Your 
religion  must  be  built  upon  this  rock,  for  other  foundation  can 
no  man  lay  than  that  which  is  laid,  which  is  Christ  Jesus. 

As  the  eldest  child  of  a  family,  you,  my  dear  C ,  have  a 

high  responsibility.  I  hope  that  you  will  be  enabled  to  go  on 
as  you  have  begun,  leading  the  others  by  your  fair  example  to 
the  paths  of  peace  and  love,  until,  by  God's  blessing,  all  of  you 
may  be  gathered,  with  your  parents,  around  the  altar  of  our 
Saviour,  in  the  full  hope  of  everlasting  union  in  the  glorious 
temple  above.  Such  is  my  prayer  for  you  all,  and,  on  behalf 
of  my  dear  godsons,  I  rejoice  that  their  sister  has  so  early  taught 
them  the  way  in  which  they  should  go,  that  they  may  be  happy 
here  and  forever. 

I  am,  my  dear  young  friend,  very  affectionately  yours, 

George  Burgess." 


XX. 

GARDINER  AND  MAINE. 

Turning  once  more  to  the  Bishop's  private  journal,  we  find 
him  recording  a  stormy  passage  in  the  boat  from  Portland  to 
Gardiner  on  the  6th  of  November,  1847,  ^  ^^.te  arrival,  and  a 
hospitable  welcome  to  the  home  of  the  Hon.  R.  H.  Gardiner, 
at  that  time  the  Senior  Warden  of  the  parish. 

On  Monday  he  mentions  the  arrival  of  his  furniture,  which 
had  passed  through  some  danger: — 

"  There  was  some  talk  of  throwing  some  portion  of  the  load 
overboard.  My  books  would  have  been  likely  to  suffer  first,  as 
they  were  so  heavy;  but  the  captain  encouraged  the  passengers 
by  telling  them  that  the  furniture  of  the  minister  was  on  board, 
and  all  passed  by." 

"November  3d.  We  learned  that  on  Saturday  a  dreadful 
accident  befel  the  very  train  of  cars  in  which,  on  Friday,  we 
entered  Boston.  The  axle  broke,  and  seven  persons  at  least 
were  killed.  Oh,  what  thanks  do  we  owe  to  the  Lord  for  His 
preserving  goodness  to  me  and  mine  upon  our  way !  May  He 
make  me  so  grateful,  that  my  life,  which  might  have  been  for- 
feited with  theirs,  may  speak  His  praise  !" 

On  Thursday,  November  25th  (Thanksgiving  Day),  he  admin- 
istered in  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Portland,  for  the  first  time,  the 


GARDINER  AND  MAINE.  II7 

holy  rite  of  confirmation,  both  preaching  and  addressing  the 
candidates  (to  quote  his  own  words),  "with  an  earnest  sense  of 
my  responsibility,  and  the  solemn  interests  of  the  occasion.  In 
the  act  itself,  the  laying  on  of  hands,  my  soul  was  much  moved." 

"  Friday,  December  24th."  After  mentioning  the  Christmas 
Eve  service,  he  writes:  "Blessed,  forever  blessed  be  God  for 
the  hope  in  Christ  which  I  hold  fast  to-night;  and  for  these 
gladdening,  glorious  tidings  of  peace  on  earth,  good-will  to  men, 
which  I  am  permitted  to  proclaim!" 

"Friday,  December  31st.  On  this,  the  last  day  of  the  year 
1847,  the  thermometer  was  as  high  as  48,  and  it  almost  seemed 
as  if  the  river  would  open.  This  is  nearly  without  example.  *  * 
Beautifully  and  amidst  blessings  closes  the  year.  May  its  many 
sins  be  forgiven  for  Jesus'  sake  ! ' ' 

At  this  time  there  Avere  but  very  few  miles  of  even  the  chiefly 
travelled  parts  of  Maine  supplied  with  railroads.  Much  hard 
riding  was  required  of  the  Bishop  in  making  his  visitations. 

"Saturday,  January  ist,  1848.  Before  breakfast  I  went  down 
to  secure  a  passage  in  the  mail  for  Augusta;  but  the  mail  had 
arrived  early,  and  was  just  about  departing,  and  the  driver 
would  not  wait  till  I  could  return  for  my  baggage.  To  overtake 
the  stage  before  it  should  leave  Augusta,  I  was  obliged  to  take 
a  private  conveyance,  and  go  off  without  my  breakfast.  I  arrived 
in  time,  and  reached  Bangor  at  half  past  eleven  at  night. ' ' 

So  little  account  did  the  Bishop  make  of  the  physical  trials 
and  fatigues  which  were  connected  with  his  labors  that  he  men- 
tioned them  even  in  his  own  family  only  incidentally,  never  in  a 
tone  of  complaint;  and  at  no  time  were  they  forced  upon  the 
notice  of  the  Church.  When  in  public  meetings  he  listened  to 
stories  of  Western  missionary  life,  he  must  sometimes  have 
thought  how  he  could  match  the  tales ;  for  he  might  have  told 
of  a  long  ride  of  eighty  miles  on  the  outside  of  a  crowded  stage, 
with  the  mercury  very  far  below  zero ;  and  of  a  night  ride  over 
a  lonely  road,  where,  in  twenty-three  miles,  only  one  house  was 
seen,  through  a  region  where  wolves  were  making  themselves 
known,  and  where  a  bear  came  out  of  the  woods  and  watched 
the  carriage  as  it  passed ;  of  driving  himself  on  the  coldest  day 
of  a  cold  winter,  with  the  mercury  40°  below  zero,  six  miles  to 
keep  an  engagement,  and,  finding  that  he  was  not  expected  and 


Ii8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

his  journey  useless,  returning  immediately  to  attend  a  funeral  in 
his  own  parish ;  and  of  another  vain  attempt  to  fulfil  an  appoint- 
ment, when,  public  conveyance  having  failed,  he  endeavored  to 
drive  himself  through  a  drifting  snow-storm,  and  only  relinquished 
the  attempt  when  he  was  convinced  that  neither  he  nor  his  horse 
could  go  farther. 

As  the  history  of  the  Bishop's  work  in  Maine  will  be  written 
by  another  pen,  all  that  will  be  attempted  here  will  be  a  brief 
and  rapid  sketch  of  his  more  private  life,  with  the  introduction 
occasionally  of  a  characteristic  letter.  In* the  infancy  of  the 
Diocese,  while  the  demands  upon  him  were  more  limited  than 
at  a  later  period,  he  found  time  to  write  a  book  which  had  long 
been  in  his  mind — a  book  on  death,  which  was  completed  and 
published  in  1850,  under  the  name  of  the  "Last  Enemy." 

In  1 85 1,  an  important  movement  was  made  in  Portland  which 
resulted  in  the  establishment  of  a  second  parish  by  the  name  of 
St.  Luke's.  How  carefully  he  guarded  against  all  which  might 
create  dissension,  how  earnestly  he  labored  for  peace,  yet  how 
frank  and  plain-spoken  he  was  when  he  deemed  it  necessary,  will 
be  shown  by  his  correspondence  with  the  first  Rector  of  St.  Luke's 
Parish,  Bishop  Southgate,  lately  returned  from  his  missionary 
jurisdiction,  a  correspondence  honorable  to  both  parties: — 

Gardiner,  April  21,  1851. 

''Right  Reverend  and  Dear  Sir  :  I  cannot  but  rejoice  in 
every  movement  which  promises  to  assist  us  in  extending  the 
privileges  of  our  Church  in  any  portion  of  this  State ;  and,  sin- 
cerely trusting  that  the  blessing  of  God  will  guide  the  newly 
organized  parish  at  Portland,  and  give  success  to  their  under- 
taking, I  would  assure  them  of  my  best  wishes  and  prayers,  and 
of  every  aid  in  my  power. 

That  in  the  commencement  of  such  a  Avork,  they  should  gladly 
avail  themselves  of  the  services  of  a  clergyman  of  abilities  and 
experience  like  your  own,  residing  amongst  them,  deeply  inte- 
rested in  their  cause,  unemployed,  and  willing  to  accept  such  a 
measure  of  remuneration  as  their  circumstances  may  admit,  was 
to  be  expected  ;  and  in  some  former  conversations,  when  you  have 
alluded  to  this  subject,  I  have  remarked  that  this  was  an  advan- 
tage which  could  seldom  exist.  We  were  speaking,  however,  of 
services  of  a  somewhat  incidental  and  experimental  character ; 
such  as  you  might  in  courtesy  be  requested  to  perform  in  any 
parish,  and  such  as  your  general  desire  to  do  good  would  prompt 


GARDINER  AND  MAINE.  119 

you  to  offer  gratuitously,  or  almost  gratuitously,  while  you  were 
awaiting  employment  in  another  and  a  more  appropriate  position. 
With  regard  to  such  services  there  could  be  no  question. 

At  present,  other  considerations  are  unavoidable.  A  parish  is 
now  organized  ;  and  although  the  terms  of  its  invitation  to  you 
are  only  '  to  officiate  for  the  time  being,'  yet  this  is  an  invitation 
to  labors,  indefinite  as  to  their  duration,  but  distinct  as  to  their 
nature,  and  distinctly  those  of  a  parish  minister,  of  a  minister 
laying  the  foundations  of  a  permanent  parochial  system.  You 
describe  to  them  the  system  which  you  propose  to  yourself;  and 
they  reply  that  those  '  are  matters  which  they  prefer  to  leave  to 
their  ministers.'  I  must  regard  the  principles  and  prospects  in- 
volved as  essentially  the  same  as  if  you  were  called  to  assume  the 
Rectorship. 

In  this  view,  your  position  towards  the  Diocese  and  its  Diocesan 
must  be  entirely  peculiar.  You  are  not,  and  cannot  be  a  clergy- 
man of  the  Diocese,  subject  to  its  canons,  and  responsible  to  its 
authorities.  I  have  no  power  to  receive  you  as  such  ;  nor  is  it 
clear  that  I  can  exercise  any  official  influence  over  your  ministe- 
rial acts,  except  in  the  single  matter  of  giving  or  withholding  my 
consent  to  your  connection  with  a  parish.  It  is  obviously  impos- 
sible that  I  should  favor  an  arrangement  which  places  you  under 
such  circumstances,  at  the  head  of  a  parish  in  this  Diocese,  unless 
there  be  some  distinct  assurance  which  shall  be  equivalent  in  its 
effect  to  the  ordinary  canonical  obligations.  I  should  be  glad, 
on  this  point,  to  consult  the  Standing  Committee  before  any  final 
understanding  ;  but  I  may  say  that,  unless  otherwise  advised  by 
them,  I  should  expect  from  you  a  fraternal  pledge  that  you  would 
pay  the  same  regard  to  any  advice  of  the  Bishop  and  Standing 
Committee  which  it  is  generally  understood  that  duty  and  pro- 
priety demand  from  every  presbyter ;  that  you  would  perform 
whatever  the  canons  require  of  ministers  of  parishes ;  and  that  in 
the  event  that  you  could  not  comply  with  the  expressed  wishes 
of  the  diocesan  authorities,  in  any  matter,  you  will  relinquish  the 
charge  of  the  congregation.  I  am  aware  that  this  last  stipulation 
is  one  into  which  no  presbyter  could  be  required  to  enter;  but 
it  seems  to  me  to  be  fully  justified  by  the  absence  of  all  control 
which  would  else  exist  in  any  doubtful  case,  and  by  the  manifold 
evils  which  would  spring  from  any  appearance  of  contention  in  an 
instance  so  exceptional  as  the  relation  between  yourself  and  me. 
Since  I  would  wish,  too,  that  you  should  not  be  under  the 
slightest  misunderstanding  of  my  view  of  the  subject,  I  will  be 
perfectly  frank  and  explicit  in  stating  the  twofold  ground  of  the 
apprehensions  with  which  I  regard  an  arrangement  that  would 
else  afford  me  unqualified  pleasure,  and,  on  account  of  which,  I 
deem  such  pledges  peculiarly  necessary,  though  in  no  case  should 


120  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

I  judge  them  superfluous.  These  are  times  when  the  danger  of 
Anti-Protestant  principles  is  but  too  real.  I  impute  to  you  no 
such  principles.  But  you  have  spent  your  ministerial  life  in 
intimate  association  with  Churches  which  are  not  Protestant ; 
your  tastes,  habits  of  thought,  and  opinions  have  received  a  bias 
from  such  associations ;  you  have  publicly  defended  the  severest 
of  all  ecclesiastical  proceedings  against  men  who,  on  the  plea  of 
conscience,  separated  from  such  Churches ;  and  I  cannot  but 
look  with  some  solicitude  to  the  impress  which  you  may  stamp 
upon  an  infant  parish.  If  I  knew  that  it  would  be  otherwise 
than  decidedly  Protestant,  no  inducement  would  wring  from  me 
any  furtherance  which  I  could  withhold. 

The  second  ground  is  the  danger  of  collisions  to  which  I 
have  supposed  that  you  might  be  more  than  usually  liable. 
You  have  never  held  a  subordinate  station  in  the  Church,  and 
have  never  been  a  pastor;  and  I  honestly  believe  that  to  a  natu- 
ral energy  of  will  and  rigidness  of  principles,  unmoulded  by  the 
influence  of  such  situations  in  which  we  learn  to  bend  to  the  views 
of  others,  is  to  be  ascribed  most  of  the  want  of  harmony  in 
your  missionary  relations,  as  well  as  of  anything  uncomfortable 
in  your  position  towards  the  Rector  of  St.  Stephen's,  whom 
yet  I  know  that  you  exceedingly  regard  and  respect.  I  do  most 
gladly  say  that  I  have  found  you  desirous  to  avoid  breaches  and 
ready  to  heal  them ;  nevertheless,  I  cannot  too  strongly  express 
my  dread  of  any  strife  between  the  two  churches  at  Portland 
or  their  ministers. 

If  you  cannot  determine  beforehand  that,  whatever  may  be 
the  degree  of  want  of  sympathy,  there  shall  be  no  jealousy,  to 
be  followed  by  an  established  icy  coldness;  no  suspicion,  no 
thought  of  slights  received,  no  taking  of  off"ence,  even  though  it 
should  seem  to  be  given,  you  are  not,  in  my  judgment,  the  per- 
son who  is  called  to  commence  a  second  parish  in  any  city. 

I  have  now  told  you,  my  dear  brother,  all  that  is  in  my  heart. 
If,  knowing  these  views,  you  are  willing  to  give  the  assurance  to 
which  I  have  referred,  you  are  at  liberty  to  regard  this  letter  as 
the  expression  of  my  assent  to  the  arrangement  proposed,  with 
the  single  reservation  that  the  Standing  Committee,  who  will 
meet  within  three  weeks  for  another  purpose,  may  propose  any 
modification,  should  they  deem  it  essential.  Let  me  say,  too, 
as  I  am  sure  I  may,  for  my  beloved  friend  and  brother,  Mr. 
Pratt,  that  to  no  heart  will  it  give  a  sincerer  pleasure  than  to  his, 
to  see  another  congregation  of  the  Church  striving  together  with 
his  own  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  joined  to  his  own  in 
unity  of  the  spirit  and  in  the  bond  of  peace. 

I  am.  Right  Reverend  and  dear  Sir,  most  truly,  your  friend 
and  brother,  George  Burgess." 

Right  Reverend  Dr.  Southgate. 


GARDINER  AND  MAINE.  1 21 

Portland,  April  25,  1857. 
"Right  Reverend  Bishop  Burgess. 

Right  Reverend  and  Dear  Sir  :  I  received  your  letter  of 
the  2  2d  yesterday,  and  have  made  it  the  subject  of  conference 
with  a  few  judicious  friends,  as  well  as  of  much  private  consider- 
ation. To  the  terms  proposed  by  you,  upon  which  you  think 
my  acceptance  of  the  invitation  from  St.  Luke's  Church  should 
be  based,  I  have  no  objection.  On  the  contrary,  they  seem  to 
me  no  more  than  I  should  myself  ask  if  I  were  in  your  position, 
only,  that  with  regard  to  the  last-mentioned  stipulation,  I  should 
require  more  time  for  reflection  in  case  I  were  forming  a  perma- 
nent connection  with  St.  Luke's  Church.  I  am  not  certain  that 
there  might  not  be  some  modification  of  it  which  would  secure 
the  object  desired,  and  leave  me  under  something  more  nearly 
approaching  to  canonical  rule.  As  the  case  now  stands,  how- 
ever, I  accept  it  with  the  others,  and  only  ask  that  if,  in  the 
Providence  of  God,  I  should  be  called  to  the  rectorship  of  the 
church,  and  should  find  it  convenient  to  accept  it,  I  may  be  at 
liberty  to  propose  such  a  modification  as  I  have  alluded  to.  I 
do  not  anticipate  such  an  issue,  but  would  be  understood  as 
accepting  this  stipulation  only  for  my  present  relation  to  St. 
Luke's,  and  while  that  continues.  I  can  hold  no  other  without 
a  distinct  and  additional  action  on  the  part  of  the  parish ;  and 
only  in  that  case,  and  in  case  I  should  wish  to  accept  the  rector- 
ship, would  I  desire  to  propose  a  change,  and  perhaps  not,  on 
full  reflection,  even  then.  For  the  business  in  hand  and  while 
acting  under  the  invitation  which  I  have  received  from  the  par- 
ish, I  accept  the  stipulation  as  it  stands — as  you  will  see  by  the 
inclosed  document,  which  I  have  drawn  up  for  the  purpose. 

With  regard  to  the  first  ground  of  the  apprehensions  which 
you  entertain,  I  hardly  know  what  to  say.  Mere  professions  on 
such  a  subject  are  doubtless  good  as  far  as  professions  go,  but 
they  are  often  ineffectual  towards  removing  misapprehension. 
If  it  would  be  any  relief  to  your  mind  to  have  me  say  that  I 
adhere  most  strongly  to  the  Protestant  principles  of  our  Church, 
that  I  cherish  and  love  them,  that  I  not  only  have  no  Romaniz- 
ing tendencies,  but  that  I  view  them  in  others  with  peculiar  dis- 
favor and  aversion,  you  may  have,  and  now  have,  that  declara- 
tion, in  the  most  unequivocal  sense  and  terms.  That  I  mean  to 
conduct  the  new  parish  on  these  principles,  not  swerving,  either 
to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left,  from  the  just  and  fair  medium  ot 
moderation  which  our  Church  holds,  is  also  my  settled  purpose ; 
and  if  you  should  ever  see  me  turning  from  it,  in  either  direction, 
I  should  feel  grateful  for  a  word  of  warning  from  you. 

As  to  the  second,  I  have  more  hope  that  your  fears  will  be 
easily  quieted.     I  have  seen  Mr.  Pratt  to-day,  and  I  called  upon 


122  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

him  with  the  determination  not  to  accept  the  invitation  unless 
there  should  be  a  fair  prospect  of  future  harmony  between  us. 
All  that  I  could  hope  for,  from  a  single  interview,  has  been  re- 
alized— more  than  realized.  He  met  me  with  a  cordial  and 
kind  manner  which  I  fully  appreciated,  and,  I  hope,  fully  recip- 
rocated. Many  things  were  explained  which  had  given  me 
uneasiness,  and  which  had  disquieted  the  members  of  the  new 
parish ;  other  things  were  also  explained  on  my  part.  Stories 
were  rife  with  regard  to  Mr.  Pratt's  alleged  opposition  to  the 
parish  which  required  explanation,  but  which,  until  now,  I  have 
not  been  in  a  position  to  bring  to  his  notice.  They  prove  to  be 
groundless;  and  I  have  had  much  pleasure  this  afternoon  in 
setting  the  minds  of  the  members  of  the  parish  right  upon  the 
subject.  I  am  sure  that  this  first  act  of  my  ministry  has  been 
productive  of  good ;  and  I  hope  that  the  future  will  be  but  a 
continuance  of  the  like  experience.  I  have  every  reason  to 
believe  that  our  relations  will  be  entirely  amicable  and  cordial. 
Nothing  shall  be  wanting  on  my  part  to  make  them  so ;  and  I 
shall  be  grateful  for  any  suggestions  that  you  may  give  me,  now 
or  hereafter,  tending  to  that  result. 

I  will  reserve  for  another  communication  various  particulars 
concerning  the  new  parish  which  will  be  of  interest  to  you  ;  and, 
asking  a  place  in  your  prayers,  both  for  St.  Luke's  and  for  my- 
self in  my  somewhat  peculiar  and  difficult  position,  and  also  for 
myself  a  place  in  your  counsel  and  guidance,  and,  above  all, 
in  your  heart,  I  am,  with  sincere  regard  and  respect. 

Your  faithful  brother  and  servant, 

Horatio  Southgate." 

While  in  the  results  of  the  Bishop's  public  labors  in  his  Diocese, 
there  was  much  to  encourage  him,  he  encountered  also  many 
discouragements.  It  repeatedly  happened  that  he  found  promis- 
ing openings  for  the  Church  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  and 
when  all  seemed  ready  to  organize  a  new  parish,  the  leading  man 
in  the  movement,  perhaps  the  only  one  on  whom  they  could  de- 
pend to  act  as  a  leader,  would  remove  with  his  family  to  the  West 
or  to  California,  and  all  would  be  abandoned.  But  he  comforted 
himself  with  the  thought  that  the  seed  sown  in  Maine  would  per- 
haps bear  more  abundant  fruit  in  the  region  to  which  it  had  been 
transplanted. 

A  more  discouraging  feature  was  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 
laborers.     So  serious  a  hindrance  did  he  find  this  difficulty,  that 


GARDINER  AND  MAINE.  123 

at  one  time  he  resorted  to  the  method  of  inserting  the  following 
advertisement  in  one  of  the  religious  papers. 

''The  Bishop  of  Maine  would  be  extremely  grateful  for  the 
opportunity  of  communicating  with  several  clergymen  who  may 
be  willing,  in  a  missionary  spirit,  to  accept  for  a  time  the  charge 
of  parishes  somewhat  isolated  in  their  position  :  requiring  pa- 
tience, energy,  and  a  constitution  capable  of  bearing  a  bracing 
climate ;  imposing  the  necessity  of  some  travel ;  having  good 
churches,  and  offering  salaries  of  $500,  $600,  $700,  or  $750.  This 
rather  unusual  mode  of  application  is  justified  by  distance  from 
the  centres  of  ecclesiastical  information,  the  difficulties  of  pro- 
tracted correspondence,  and  the  necessities,  too  long  unsupplied, 
of  suffering  congregations  and  missions." 

It  was,  perhaps,  at  the  same  time  that  he  wrote  the  article 
which  follows,  with  the  intention  of  sending  it  to  one  of  the 
Church  papers.  As  it  was  never  published,  it  is  inserted  here  to 
show  how  much  he  needed  his  cheerful  temperament  in  such  a 
discouraging  field. 

"The  lack  of  laborers  for  the  harvest  may  be  illustrated  by 
the  actual  history  of  the  efforts  made  to  furnish,  within  the  past 
year,  a  certain  parish  with  a  rector.  It  is  in  a  town  of  4000  in- 
habitants j  has  existed  seven  or  eight  years;  has  a  neat  little 
church  and  organ  ;  is  free  from  debt ;  has  fifty  communicants  ; 
is  extremely  well  ordered,  harmonious  and  devoted  to  the  Church ; 
and,  with  the  aid  of  missionary  funds,  offers  a  salary  of  seven 
hundred  dollars.  The  only  objection  was  that  the  parish,  though 
otherwise  delightfully  situated,  is  remote,  as  far  as  any  place  in 
the  Eastern  States  can  be  called  remote. 

This  narrative  may  also  illustrate  the  anxieties  which  some- 
times attend  the  work  of  those  on  whom  devolves  '  the  care  of 
all  the  Churches.' 

Mr.  A.  was  called  from  the  rectorship  of  this  parish  to  a  larger 
charge  in  another  Diocese ;  and  left  an  united  people  who 
regretted  the  necessity  of  a  change. 

Mr.  B.  was  a  clergyman  of  the  Diocese,  at  that  moment  disen- 
gaged ;  and  overtures  were  first  made  to  him  ;  but  he  had  been 
twice  attacked  with  serious  illness,  and  believed  it  necessary  to 
seek  a  different  climate  ;  and  after  some  months  took  a  parish 
near  New  York. 

Mr.  C.  had  previously  expressed  by  letter  some  willingness  to 
remove  to  this  Diocese.  A  communication  to  him  brought  back 
the  reply  that  he  had  very  recently  removed  to  another. 


124  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Mr.  D.,  a  deacon,  officiated  for  three  or  four  Sundays,  without 
any  expectation  that  a  permanent  relation  would  be  established. 

Mr.  E.  had  removed  from  the  Diocese,  but  was  not  at  home 
in  his  new  residence,  and  had  spoken  of  a  return.  He  answered 
to  the  application  that  the  distance  and  some  social  reasons  would 
forbid  this  particular  change  of  location. 

Mr.  F.,  a  clergyman  of  ability  and  excellence,  formerly  of  the 
Diocese,  responded  rather  favorably ;  when  some  hesitation  arose ; 
and  he  soon  accepted  a  more  important  parish  within  the  Diocese. 

Mr.  G.,  a  young  clergyman,  had  written  to  the  Bishop,  know- 
ing he  sought  laborers.  But  'after  prayerful  consideration,' 
it  seemed  to  him  best  to  decline  an  invitation,  seeing  '  no  special 
call  of  Providence  to  so  distant  a  field.' 

Mr.  H.  was  a  distinguished  clergyman,  formerly  of  the  Diocese ; 
and  just  at  this  time  released  from  any  charge  by  broken  health, 
but  recovering.  The  idea  of  usefulness  here  for  a  while,  if  no 
wider  field  appeared,  was  suggested  to  him  in  a  passing  way ;  but 
the  health  of  his  family  compelled  him  '  to  seek  a  more  genial 
clime.' 

Mr.  I.,  just  ordained,  was  recommended,  and  seemed  ready 
to  go  to  any  field ;  but  after  some  little  time,  found  that  he  had 
'  a  preference  for  a  more^western  field,  and  away  from  the  sea 
coast,  of  the  climate  of  which  he  had  a  little  fear.' 

Mr.  J.  found  the  salary  insufficient,  when  he  considered  the 
expenses  of  removal ;  and  though  at  first  desirous  to  come  to  the 
Diocese,  was  induced  to  accept  a  position  nearer  his  previous 
home. 

Mr.  K.  also  had  offers  of  an  equal  or  larger  salary,  without 
going  to  so  great  a  distance. 

Mr.  L.,  after  some  correspondence,  believed  that,  though  with- 
out permanent  charge,  he  should  find  other  prospects  opening  in 
the  Diocese  with  which  he  was  connected. 

Mr.  M.,  who  had  desired  employment  in  the  Diocese  in  which 
this  parish  is  situated,  found  it  with  a  salary  a  little  larger  in  his 
own. 

Mr.  N.  slightly  misunderstood  the  prosposal,  and  when  the 
error  was  corrected,  had  already  entered  into  other  engagements. 

Mr.  O.  '  would  not  hesitate  a  moment,  were  it  not  for  his 
prospects'  in  his  own  neighborhood. 

Mr.  P.,  without  a  charge,  could  not  trust,  so  far  north,  the 
health  of  children  accustomed  to  a  more  southern  air. 

Mr.  Q.  was  anxious  for  a  post ;  but  was  recommended  by  no 
one  with  any  confidence. 

Mr.  R.  saw  several  providential  reasons  which  determined 
him,  while  otherwise  much  at  a  loss  to  decide,  and  unemployed. 

Mr.  S.  regarded  the  subject  favorably ;  but  received  another 
and  nearer  call. 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  THE  MEMORIAL.  125 

Mr.  T.,  who  knew  the  parish,  offered  his  services;  but  there 
was  cause  to  apprehend  that  he  would  not  be  met  with  cordiality. 

Mr.  U.  actually  visited  the  parish ;  was  favorably  impressed, 
and  seemed  on  the  point  of  accepting  it,  when  his  own  parish 
increased  his  salary,  and  held  him  back. 

Mr.  v.,  while  deliberating,  was  called  to  a  position  of  greater 
promise. 

Mr.  W.,  though  desirous  to  come,  had  a  family  whose  expenses 
he  could  not  meet  with  this  salary. 

So  stood  the  parish  at  the  latest  date." 


XXI. 

BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  THE  MEMORIAL. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  himself  prominently  connected 
with  the  plans  of  the  memorial,  has  kindly  supplied  this  "^Section 
of  the  Memoir. 

During  the  session  of  the  General  Convention  of  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church  in  the  year  1853,  a  memorial,  signed  by  a 
number  of  Presbyters,  was  presented  to  the  House  of  Bishops 
touching  the  actual  posture  of  our  Church  in  relation  to  the  great 
moral  and  social  necessities  of  the  day.  Referring  to  the  divided 
and  distracted  state  of  our  Protestant  Christianity,  the  new  and 
subtle  forms  of  unbelief,  the  consolidated  forces  of  Romanism, 
and  the  gross  ignorance  of  the  Gospel,  especially  among  the 
lower  classes  of  our  cities,  the  memorial  presented  the  inquiry 
whether  the  time  had  not  arrived  for  the  adoption  of  measures  to 
meet  these  exigencies,  more  comprehensive  than  any  yet  provided 
for  by  our  present  ecclesiastical  system  ;  in  other  words,  whether 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  with  only  her  present  canonical 
means  and  appliances,  her  fixed  and  invariable  modes  of  public 
worship,  and  her  traditional  customs  and  usages,  is  competent  to 
the  work  of  preaching  and  dispensing  the  Gospel  to  all  sorts  and 
conditions  of  men,  and  so  to  adequately  fulfil  the  mission  of  a 
catholic  church  in  this  land  and  this  age.  The  memorial  was 
referred  to  the  commission  by  a  large  majority  of  the  Bishops 
(20  to  4)  with  instructions  to  take  into  consideration  the  subjects 
thereof,  to  receive  communications  in  relation  to  the  same,  and 
to  report  to  the  next  General  Convention.  Dr.  Burgess  was  one 
of  the  five  Bishops  who  composed  this  commission,  and  proved 
himself  a  most  earnest  and  diligent  member.  Together  with 
Bishop  Alonzo  Potter,  another  of  the  members,  he  took  a  lead  in 


126  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

the  deliberations  of  the  commission,  was  nearly  the  only  one  who 
attended  all  its  meetings,  gave  a  patient  hearing  to  all  the  com- 
munications made  to  it,  and  in  connection  with  Bishop  Potter,  was 
the  author  of  the  resolutions  and  of  the  several  forms  of  prayer, 
which  accompanied  the  report  of  the  commission  to  the  House  of 
Bishops  in  1856.  The  characteristic  sound  judgment  of  Bishop 
Burgess  was  apparent  in  his  treatment  of  the  various  questions 
which  came  up  in  the  consideration  of  the  memorial ;  while  he 
sympathized  with  its  spirit  and  cordially  approved  its  object,  he 
impartially  viewed  its  suggestions  and  propositions  on  all  sides. 
He  favored  the  plea  for  adapting  the  Church  to  the  times,  but 
not  by  departing  in  the  least  from  her  "good  old  ways."  He 
believed  she  should  be  more  flexible  in  her  services  and  usages, 
but  he  would  guard  her  against  being  too  facile.  He  was  con- 
stitutionally conservative,  and  on  principle  progressive ;  with  the 
two  elements  duly  proportioned,  he  was  a  progressive  conserva- 
tive, and  a  conservative  progressive.  Thus,  in  his  "contribution" 
published  in  the  memorial  papers,  speaking  of  liturgical  changes, 
after  stating,  with  excellent  judgment,  the  contingencies  which 
justify  or  call  for  them,  he  presents  with  unbiassed  impartiality 
the  arguments  against  and  for  them.  "All  liturgical  changes  of 
every  kind  are  powerfully  opposed  by  the  consideration  of  the 
danger  of  parting  with  some  blessing,  already  possessed,  in  ex- 
change for  uncertain  improvement ;  by  the  difficulties  attendant 
on  the  change  itself  3  by  the  preference  for  all  which  is  already 
ancient,  and  connected  with  the  dearest  associations  and  most 
venerable  memories  ;  by  the  peculiar  sense  of  stability  which  has 
become  a  glory  of  our  Church,  by  the  dread  of  diversity  of  usage ; 
by  the  still  greater  dread  of  innovations,  more  and  more  serious, 
which  may  enter  in  at  the  open  breach ;  by  the  dread,  greatest 
of  all,  of  changes  in  doctrine ;  and  by  many  apprehensions  which 
proceed  from  the  very  jealousy  of  a  profound  affection  for  the 
Church  as  it  is,  even  to  the  borders  of  its  robes. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  necessity  of  changes  in  the  progress  of 
events,  even  apart  from  the  merits  of  each  proposed  change, 
draws  some  support  from  the  desire  to  try  all  means  of  reaching 
the  hearts  of  men  ;  from  dissatisfaction  with  the  imperfect  success 
of  all  past  efforts;  from  a  kindly  wish  to  make  the  Church  as  com- 
prehensive as  a  firm  adherence  to  the  truth  will  allow ;  from  tender 
consciences  which  ask  indulgence  ;  from  reluctance  to  fasten 
absolute  and  unchangeable  perpetuity  to  that  which  is  but  human ; 
from  the  conviction  that  all  which  man  has  devised  can  be  im- 
proved ;  from  comparisons  between  the  usages  of  our  Church 
and  those  of  other  communions  or  other  ages,  which,  however 
little  humiliating  on  the  Avhole,  cannot  always  show  an  equal  pre- 
ponderance of  advantage  on  our  part,  and  from  the  broad  prin- 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND   THE  MEMORIAL.  127 

ciple  that  Catholicity  must  imply  variety  as  well  as  uniformity, 
that  the  Church  of  Christ  cannot  always  be  restrained  within  any 
limits  which  at  any  one  period  may  have  been  expedient  and 
excellent." 

The  Bishop  had  no  doubt  of  the  lawfulness  of  what  is  called 
the  division  of  the  services  nor  its  expediency  under  certain  cir- 
cumstances. For  instance,  he  says,  in  the  document  already 
mentioned,  "  When  the  morning  services  are  to  be  extended  by 
any  additions,  such  as  those  of  an  Episcopal  Visitation,  and  Ordi- 
nation, or  a  large  Communion,  the  Morning  Prayer  may  be  held 
at  an  earlier  hour;  or,  should  this  be  found  inconvenient,  it 
could  be  recommended  to  the  congregation  to  perform  that  part 
of  the  services,  excepting  the  Declaration  of  Absolution,  at  home, 
instead  of  their  family  devotions.  Another  mode  of  division, 
where  those  services  must  be  held  on  the  same  day,  would  be  that 
of  reading  the  Morning  Prayer  with  the  Ante-Communion  service 
in  the  morning,  the  Litany  in  the  afternoon  preceded  by  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  a  selection  of  psalms  and  the  two  lessons  for  the 
Sunday  evening,  with  two  of  the  chants  and  the  creed  ;  and  the 
Evening  Prayer  in  the  evening,  with  the  lessons  for  the  daily  cal- 
endar; these  changes  may  be  safely  permitted  at  the  option  of  the 
clergy  and  their  congregations. ' ' 

With  respect  to  the  daily  service  the  Bishop  was  disposed  to 
grant  a  large  license.  He  says,  "Since  the  daily  service  is  not 
obligatory,  and  is  seldom  held  and  little  attended,  it  may  possibly 
be  deemed  better  to  declare  that  those  clergymen  who  perform 
it  have  full  liberty  to  omit  such  portions  as  to  each  of  them  may 
seem  most  expedient." 

The  following  is  an  important  admission,  "  The  instance  of 
assemblies,  which  cannot  yet  be  viewed  as  congregations  of  the 
Church,  assemblies  of  persons  but  little  acquainted  with  its  usages, 
and  perhaps  accustomed  to  briefer  exercises  of  prayer  and  praise, 
is  one  which  the  compilers  and  English  revisers  of  the  Prayer 
Book  did  not  anticipate.  It  has  now  become  real  and  frequent; 
and  the  ministers  of  the  Church  must  often  preach  the  gospel 
where  the  attempt  to  perform  the  entire  service  of  an  established 
worship  would  be  incongruous,  unsuccessful,  and  injurious. ' ' 

While  the  Bishop  would  not  favor  alterations  of  the  Prayer- 
Book,  he  allowed  the  necessity  of  additions.  "The  Church," 
he  says,  "has  adopted  the  principle  of  special  supplications  at 
certain  seasons  of  special  need,  and  has  invited  its  members  to 
solicit  in  their  hours  of  sorrow,  danger,  or  deliverance,  the 
sympathizing  prayers  of  their  brethren  in  the  great  congregation. 
Since  such  is  its  rule  and  practice,  much  endeared  also  to  the 
hearts  of  the  most  devout  worshippers,  no  reason  can  be  assigned 
why  we  should  thus  pray  for  those  who  are  about  to  be  admitted 


128  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

to  Holy  Orders,  and  not  also  pray,  as  our  Lord  has  expressly 
charged  us,  that  He  would  send  forth  laborers  into  His  harvest ; 
why  we  should  pray  for  those  who  cross  the  sea,  and  not  for 
those  who  cross  the  continent ;  why  we  should  give  thanks  for  a 
safe  return  from  sea,  and  not  for  rescue  from  numerous  perils  by 
conflagration,  or  disasters  on  railroads,  or  steamboats,  or  else- 
where ;  why  we  should  constantly  present  our  supplications  for 
the  National  Legislature,  and  never  for  those  of  the  States ;  why 
war  and  peace,  famine  and  pestilence,  drought  and  rain  should 
be  remembered  before  the  throne  of  mercy,  in  our  united  prayers, 
and  not  the  common  interests  which  may  at  any  time  be  exposed 
in  other  ways  to  equal  jeopardy." 

On  the  liberty  of  prayer  in  our  Church,  the  Bishop  thus  ex- 
presses himself:  "The  great  question  whether  extemporaneous 
prayer,  or  prayer  in  the  use  of  words  previously  prepared  by  the 
individual  clergyman,  should  at  all  be  sanctioned  in  our  public 
services,  is  by  no  means  to  be  viewed  as  absolutely  settled  in  the 
negative,  either  by  any  law  of  the  Church,  or  by  ancient  usage, 
or  by  established  principle.  It  was  a  common  practice  of  the 
Church  of  England  for  a  long  period,  to  utter  such  prayers  in 
the  pulpit ;  and  they  are  found  annexed  to  printed  sermons  down 
to  the  middle  of  the  last  century.  The  XLVth  canon  of  1832, 
founded  upon  the  XXXI Vth  of  1808,  which  was  also  founded 
on  the  Xth  of  1789,  only  forbids  the  use  of  any  other  prayers 
than  those  prescribed  by  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  in  '  per- 
forming the  service'  '  before  all  sermons  and  lectures  and  on  all 
other  occasions  of  public  worship.'  As  the  language  of  prohibi- 
tion, where  no  moral  wrong  is  forbidden  must  not  be  urged  to 
the  utmost  strictness,  if  a  larger  construction  is  equally  probable, 
this  Canon  need  not  be  understood  as  prohibiting  other  prayers 
after  sermons  or  lectures.  But  should  the  Convention  for  other 
reasons  amend  the  Canon,  all  doubt  may  be  removed.  Should 
it  be  decided  and  declared  that  any  minister  may  in  the  pulpit 
or  after  sermon,  freely  offer  prayers  of  his  own  composition,  it  is, 
perhaps,  not  very  probable  that  those  who  are  so  accustomed  to 
liturgical  worship  and  so  well  satisfied  with  it,  will  much  avail 
themselves  of  the  liberty.  But  since  the  desire  for  such  liberty 
merits  no  blame;  since  it  is  possible  that,  in  some  minds,  an 
objection  to  the  system  of  the  Church  might  thus  be  removed; 
and  since  there  are  arguments  of  no  small  weight,  arguments 
from  the  nature  of  things,  from  the  primitive  practice,  from  the 
absence  of  any  scriptural  injunction,  and  from  the  prepossessions 
of  many  Christians  of  the  present  age,  in  favor  of  the  permission  ; 
to  grant  it  freely  to  this  extent  would  be  a  measure  on  which  the 
blessing  of  the  Author  of  peace,  the  great  Hearer  of  all  faithful 
prayer,  might  be  humbly  expected." 


HYMNODY.  129 

The  prayer  of  the  memorialists  in  regard  to  the  promotion  of 
unity  among  Evangelical  Protestants,  was  heartily  seconded  by 
Bishop  Burgess,  who  was  made  one  of  the  members  of  the  per- 
manent commission  of  the  House  of  Bishops  on  Christian  Unity. 

Very  pleasant  are  the  recollections  on  the  part  of  the  writer 
of  the  hours  spent  by  him  with  the  Bishop  in  the  interchange  of 
sentiments  on  the  foregoing  and  kindred  subjects  which  came  up 
in  the  discussion  of  the  commission.  An  intimacy  then  began 
which  ripened  into  lasting  friendship,  which  the  writer  is  happy 
to  believe  was  mutually  cordial.  Very  easy  was  it  for  him  to 
bear  the  misrepresentations  of  the  objects  and  motives  of  the 
memorial  when  it  had  the  sympathy  of  one  acknowledged  to 
have  no  superior  in  practical  wisdom  among  his  right  reverend 
brethren. 


XXII. 
HYMNODY. 

The  material  for  this  Section  and  much  of  the  language  are 
furnished  by  the  Rev.  M.  A.  D'W.  Howe,  D.  D.,  and  the  Rev. 
Francis  Wharton,  LL.  D. 

In  the  spring  of  1857,  under  the  auspices  of  Bishop  Alonzo 
Potter,  a  movement  was  made  towards  the  preparation  of  a  col- 
lection of  Hymns,  with  a  view  to  their  ultimate  adoption  by  the 
General  Convention.  Bishop  Burgess  was  among  the  first  con- 
sulted, and  the  following  reply  was  sent  by  him  to  Mr.  Francis 
Wharton,  who  acted  as  secretary  to  those  by  whom  the  pre- 
liminary steps  were  taken. 

Gardiner,  March  11,  1S57. 
''My  Dear  Sir:  I  will  cheerfully  lend  any  co-operation  in  my 
power  to  the  very  interesting  labor  which  you  propose.  The 
only  hesitation  which  suggests  itself  for  a  moment  is  founded  on 
the  circumstance  that  a  considerable  time  since,  my  friend,  the 
Rev.  A.  C.  Coxe,  of  Baltimore,  told  me  of  a  somewhat  similar 
plan  of  his  own,  and  desired  my  aid,  which  was  cheerfully 
promised.  But  I  doubt  whether  he  has  not  relinquished  it,  or 
at  least  whether  he  has  made  any  advancement  in  it;  and,  as  I 
shall  have  occasion  to  write  to  him  in  a  day  or  two,  I  will  ascer- 
tain how  the  matter  stands.  You  may  depend  on  me  unless  you 
very  shortly  hear  from  me  to  the  contrary;  but  it  is  possible 
that  his  design  may  have  upon  me  the  hold  of  a  prior  engagement. 
9 


130  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Allow  me  to  throw  out  the  idea,  for  consideration,  of  a  two- 
fold volume,  a  selection,  within  which  nothing  should  be  admitted 
but  that  which  is  indisputably  most  perfect  in  its  kind ;  and  a 
collection  where  all  would  be  found  which  any  intelligent  and 
pious  mind  can  desire.  This,  however,  is  a  mere  suggestion, 
not  much  matured.     I  am,  with  great  regard, 

Very  faithfully  yours, 

George  Burgess." 
Francis  Wharton,  Esq. 

In  a  subsequent  letter  to  Mr.  Wharton,  the  Bishop  wrote : — 

*'  Allow  me  to  throw  out  one  suggestion.  It  is  that  the  order 
of  time,  the  chronology  of  the  authorship,  should  be  an  element 
to  be  regarded  in  any  selection,  except  one  which  is  to  be  used 
in  churches.  I  doubt  whether  it  is  not  the  best  mode,  after  a 
general  classification  of  subjects,  to  place  under  each  large  divi- 
sion the  hymns  according  to  their  dates.  This  is  the  plan  of 
Bunsen's  great  collection  of  German  Hymns;  and  it  is  in  vari- 
ous ways  instructive,  and  tends  to  prevent  the  rather  hetero- 
geneous look  of  most  collections." 

Those  who  united  in  the  proposed  Committee  (at  that  time 
simple  volunteers)  were  Bishops  Alonzo  Potter  and  Burgess, 
Rev.  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  Rev.  Dr.  (afterwards  Bishop)  Bowman, 
Rev.  Dr.  Howe,  Rev.  Dr.  (afterwards  Bishop)  Coxe,  and  Mr. 
(afterwards  Rev.  Dr.)  Wharton. 

After  several  conferences,  a  draft  of  a  collection  was  submitted 
by  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  and  referred  in  turn  to  Mr.  Wharton, 
Bishop  Burgess,  Dr.  Howe,  and  Dr.  Coxe,  in  the  order  in 
which  their  names  here  stand.  A  large  portion  of  the  sheets  of 
this  draft  with  the  manuscript  notes  of  the  gentlemen  above 
named,  is  now  in  existence,  and  shows  with  what  minute  care 
Bishop  Burgess'  share  in  the  labor  was  attended.  Among  the 
hymns  suggested  by  him  we  find  the  following,  indorsed  on  the 
manuscript  in  his  well-known  hand: — 

"  O  God,  by  Whom  the  seed  is  given."  Heber. 

"  Let  us  with  a  joyful  mind."  Milton. 
"  Go  forth,  my  heart,  etc."                                         Lyra  Germanica.      ^ 

"  I  sing  of  God,  the  mighty  source,  etc."  Smart. 

"  O  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing."  Wesley. 

"  Hark,  how  the  trumpet  sounds."  Medley. 

"  How  rich  thy  favors,  God  of  grace."  Doddridge. 

"  Angels,  where'er  we  go,  attend."  Wesley. 


HYMNODY.  131 

"  Fear  not,  oh  little  flock,  thy  foe."  Lyra  Germanica. 

"Our  souls,  by  love  together  knit."  MiLTON. 

"  As  the  sun's  enlivening  eye."  Newton. 

"  Kindred  in  Christ,  for  His  dear  name."  " 
"  Blest  day  of  God,  most  calmly  bright."        Codman's  COLLECTION. 

"  The  Lord  will  come;  the  world  shall  shake."  Heber. 

"  How  shall  I  meet  thee  ?  how  my  heart."  Lyra  Germanica. 

"  Lift  up  your  heads,  ye  mighty  gates."  "               " 

"Joy  to  the  world,  the  Lord  is  come."  Watts. 

"  O  city  of  the  Lord,  begin."  Logan. 

"When  marshalled  on  the  nightly  plain."  White. 

"  Forth  flames  the  standard  of  our  King."  BiSHOP  Williams. 

"  Welcome,  thou  Victor  in  the  strife."  Lyra  Germanica. 

"  What  had  I  been  if  Thou  wert  not."  "               " 

These  are  taken  in  order  from  the  first  few  pages  of  the  manu- 
script ;  and  show  the  large  share  of  the  work  assumed  by  him, 
and  the  sources  from  which  he  drew. 

Several  of  the  hymns  already  in  the  Prayer-Book  came  under 
discussion,  and  changes  in  them  were  proposed  by  some  of  the 
committee,  and  opposed  by  others.  It  was  finally  agreed  to  leave 
untouched  those  already  in  use;  and  in  the  summer  of  1859,  the 
collection,  called  ''  Hymns  for  Church  and  Home"  (excluding  the 
Prayer-Book  hymns,  upon  which  the  committee  determined  to 
make  no  report),  was  printed  for  private  circulation. 

The  Preface  to  this  collection  was  from  the  pen  of  Bishop 
Burgess.  After  giving  a  history  of  the  use  of  metrical  Psalms 
and  Hymns  in  the  English  Church,  and  showing  the  gradual 
enlargement  of  the  collection  until  it  reached  its  present  number 
in  the  American  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  he  writes,  in  reference 
to  the  volume  offered  by  the  Committee: — 

"A  collection,  therefore,  like  that  which  is  here  offered,  cannot 
be  believed  to  be  quite  unsuitable  or  unacceptable.  It  takes 
the  form  of  a  supplement  to  the  collection  authorized  by  the 
Convention  of  1826;  is  arranged  under  the  same  order;  con- 
tains none  of  the  same  hymns;  and,  with  that  collection, 
should  comprise  whatever  the  general  wishes  of  pious  members 
of  our  Church  might  concur  in  desiring.  It  adds  forty-three 
more  of  the  psalms  and  hymns  of  Watts  to  the  thirty-two  which 
are  already  used.  Forty-two  of  the  most  glowing  in  the  volume 
are  taken  from  Wesley,  in  addition  to  the  small  number  of  the 
previous  fifteen.     The  eighteen  from  Doddridge,  which  are  now 


132  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

sung,  receive  here  an  accession  of  seventeen.  From  Newton 
we  had  ten,  and  here  have  seventeen  more ;  from  Cowper  we 
had  five,  and  here  have  ten  besides;  from  Logan  we  had  ten, 
and  here  have  five  in  addition ;  and  five  are  also  added  to  the 
former  three  from  Toplady ;  and  six  to  the  twenty-two  from  Mrs. 
Steele.  These,  with  a  few  others  of  Sternhold,  Milton,  Herbert, 
Baxter,  Merrick,  Cotton,  Beddome,  Cennick,  Hart,  Gibbons, 
Gisborne,  Davies,  Barbauld,  Hawksworth,  Kennett,  of  each  but 
one  or  two,  are  fruits  gathered,  not  gleaned,  from  fields  which 
had  been  traversed,  but  scarcely  reaped  before.  The  religious 
writings  of  Montgomery  were  then  but  partially  published ;  in 
their  complete  form  they  have  yielded,  besides  the  ten  hymns  then 
adopted,  not  less  than  thirty-six ;  and  in  the  same  manner  sixteen, 
besides  the  previous  two,  have  been  taken  from  the  series,  then 
too  little  known,  of  Bishop  Heber.  Four  from  Milman,  and 
two  more  from  Grant  might  also  have  escaped  attention  at  that 
time,  though  already  public.  Nine  extracted  from  the  sacred 
poetry  of  Keble;  nine  from  that  of  Lyte;  five  from  that  of  our 
own  Croswell;  three  from  Brydges,  a  glowing  writer  of  the 
Romish  communion ;  four  from  Kelly ;  three  from  Bonar ;  two 
from  Conder ;  two  from  Edmeston ;  two  from  Bishop  Doane ; 
three  from  Baptist  Noel;  two  from  Bowring;  many  bearing 
names  less  known ;  and  almost  all  of  more  than  fifty  which  are 
anonymous,  could  probably  never  have  come  under  notice  if  they 
even  existed  thirty  years  since.  Five  simple  Moravian  hymns 
are  drawn  from  sources  which  certainly  were  not  then  consulted. 
Forty  translations  of  Latin  hymns  are  almost  all  of  recent  pub- 
lication. Sixteen  from  the  German  are  equally  recent.  Thus  is 
the  present  collection  made  up;  and  such  are  its  relations  to  that 
which  forms  our  established  Book  of  Hymns. 

The  principles  and  grounds  of  selection  could  be  no  other 
than  scriptural  truth,  devout  feeling,  ecclesiastical  solemnity, 
poetic  beauty,  popular  estimation,  and  adaptation  to  musical 
harmony.  It  is  a  necessity,  of  course,  that  there  should  be  fre- 
quent curtailments.  Li  the  delicate  task  of  change  for  the  sake 
of  emendation,  little  has  been  crttempted  beyond  a  compliance 
with  the  rules  of  rhyme,  rhythm,  and  grammatical,  rhetorical, 
and  doctrinal  correctness.  The  original  text  has  been  followed, 
wherever  a  deviation  was  not  more  than  justified.  But  a  hymn 
for  the  use  of  the  Church  of  Christ  is  not  a  literary  production, 
in  which  the  reputation  of  the  author  is  to  be  chiefly  regarded. 

The  work  of  preparing  a  volume  like  this  must  needs  be  de- 
lightful, but  also  not  a  little  laborious.  Many  hours  of  solitary 
study,  and  not  a  few  days  of  protracted  conference,  have  been 
given  to  results  which  will  only  be  apparent,  if  at  all,  in  the 
absence  of  certain  faults  and  blemishes.  The  greatness  of  the 
end,  if  it  could  indeed  be  reached,  was  almost  beyond  exaggera- 


HYMNODY.  133 

tion ;  to  furnish  harmonious  words  to  the  devotion  of  hearts 
united  in  the  communion  of  the  saints.  For  this  it  was  necessary 
that  personal  preferences  should  be  yielded ;  that  earthly  divisions 
should  be  forgotten ;  and  that  those  strains  should  command  the 
ear  and  heart,  which,  in  every  part  of  our  land,  in  every  congrega- 
tion of  our  Church,  in  every  order  of  minds  to  which  the  faith 
once  delivered  to  the  saints  is  dear,  might  be  the  chosen  utterance 
of  humble  and  intelligent  piety. 

It  cannot  be  too  much  to  hope  and  believe,  that  a  collection 
so  large  as  this,  and  made  on  these  principles,  must  together  with 
the  Prayer-Book  collection,  embrace  almost  all  the  choicest 
metrical  hymns  in  our  language.  Some  may  have  been  included, 
which  the  judgment  of  other  compilers  would  have  rejected  ;  but 
it  is  scarcely  possible  that  many  should  be  absent  which  would 
have  been  secure  of  general  approval. 

The  persons  who  have  undertaken  the  labor  involved  in  the 
preparation  of  this  book,  and  who  must  be  responsible  for  the 
execution,  are  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Burgess,  of  Maine ;  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  of  New  York;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Howe,  of 
Pennsylvania;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Coxe,  of  Maryland;  and  Professor 
Wharton,  of  Kenyon  College.  They  have  been  materially  aided 
by  the  counsel  and  help  of  the  Right  Rev.  Bishops  Potter  and  ■ 
Bowman,  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Andrews,  of  Virginia, 
and  the  Rev.  John  F.  Young,  of  New  York. 

The  book  is  now  commended  to  the  blessing  of  God,  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost;  whose  praises  it  would 
utter  in  every  line. ' ' 

August,  1859. 

Copies  of  the  collection  thus  made  were  distributed  gratuitously 
to  the  members  of  the  General  Convention  in  1859.  This 
aroused  an  interest,  and  led  to  the  formal  appointment  of  a  com- 
mittee on  "Psalmody  and  Hymnody,"  of  which  the  former 
volunteer  committee  were  made  a  part.  No  definite  action  ap- 
pears to  have  been  taken  by  this  committee,  and  in  1862,  it  was 
renewed  with  some  variation  in  its  members,  Bishop  Burgess 
continuing  the  acting  chairman,  and  devoting  to  it  a  large  por- 
tion of  his  time. 

The  Committee  met  at  different  times  at  New  York,  Philadel- 
phia, Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  Brookline,  Massachusetts.  Of  one  of 
these  meetings.  Dr.  Howe  writes:  — 

"They  met  at  my  summer  residence  in  Bristol,  where  Bishop 
Burgess,  Dr.  Coxe,  and  Dr.  Muhlenberg  were  my  guests  for 
several  days.     I  never  enjoyed  any  work  so  much;  and  it  was 


134  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

work.  Morning  and  afternoon  we  were  kept  steadily  at  it  by 
the  indefatigable  Bishop,  who  would  listen  to  no  proposal  for 
recreation,  by  driving  or  boating.  Still  the  conversations  that 
arose  in  the  prosecution  of  our  work,  and  especially  the  Table 
Talk,  were  most  refreshing  and  instructive.  And  I  say  that  the 
good  Bishop  was  the  luminary  around  which  all  delighted  to 
revolve;  so  full  of  knowledge,  so  wise,  so  gentle,  so  holy. 

In  our  conversation,  there  and  afterwards,  we  were  more  per- 
plexed to  know  what  should  be  done  with  the  psalms,  than  with 
the  hymns.  Some  were  for  selecting  a  few  that  are  most  imbued 
with  an  evangelical  tone,  and  incorporating  them  with  the  hymns. 
Others  were  disposed  to  retain  a  separate  and  pretty  full  selection, 
as  we  have  now.  The  Bishop  was  in  favor  of  restoring  the  whole 
Psalter  in  verse.  But  no  single  version  known  to  the  Committee 
was,  as  a  whole,  satisfactory.  This  led  to  an  informal  request 
from  the  other  members  of  the  Committee  to  Bishop  Burgess, 
that  he  would  make  from  all  sources,  a  compilation  of  the  best 
metrical  version  of  the  Psalms  that  could  be  had.  Thus  you 
see  that  in  this  department  of  the  work  he  had  no  associate,  and 
that  his  designation  to  the  task  was  not  an  official  proceeding, 
but  a  spontaneous  tribute  to  his  extensive  knowledge  and  fault- 
less taste.  If  anything  should  convert  me  to  the  restoration  of 
the  whole  book  of  Psalms  in  metre  into  the  lids  of  the  Prayer- 
Book,  it  would  be  the  admirable  version  which  Bishop  Burgess 
collected  from  all  quarters  and  laid  before  the  Church." 

The  preface  to  "The  American  Metrical  Psalter"  was  also 
from  the  Bishop's  pen.  The  interesting  history  which  it  con- 
tains of  the  Psalmody  of  the  Church  cannot  be  inserted  here ; 
but  room  must  be  made  for  the  opening  and  closing  para- 
graphs : — 

"Almost  as  soon  as  the  English  Bible  and  the  English  Com- 
mon Prayer,  the  Psalter  in  English  metre  became  also  the  pos- 
session of  our  fathers.  It  was  a  necessity,  because  our  language, 
and  those  other  languages  which  are  its  nearest  kindred,  demand 
for  songs  which  are  to  be  the  voice  of  the  people,  the  charms, 
subordinate  though  they  be,  of  measure  and  of  rhyme.  No 
workman  at  his  toil,  no  maiden  in  her  hour  of  gladness  or  of 
sadness,  no  soldier  on  the  march  ever  thinks  of  singing  any- 
thing but  verse.  The  grander  music  of  the  skilful  choir, 
appealing  to  the  highly  educated  taste  of  a  few,  may  disregard 
modulations  so  simple ;  but  the  popular  ballad  and  hymns  must 
keep  pace  with  the  common  feelings  of  mankind." 

"The  only  valid  defence  of  such  a  measure  as  the  disuse  of 
Psalms  in  metre  is,  if  it  be  true,  that  no  satisfactory  version  is 


HYMNODY.  135 

found  in  the  English  language.  It  is  the  design  of  the  present 
volume  to  test  this  argument.  Eighteen  versions,  the  whole  of 
those  which  have  attained  such  a  place  in  sacred  literature  as  to 
be  anywhere  cited,  or  anywhere  easily  accessible,  have  been 
consulted  and  compared ;  and,  of  these,  fourteen  have  con- 
tributed to  this  compilation.  If  it  is  not  the  most  faultless  of 
all  the  entire  versions  in  our  language,  and  if  it  does  not  include 
whatever  is  most  excellent  in  each,  so  far  as  each  is  fitted  for  the 
purposes  of  public  worship,  it  has  failed  to  reach  its  aim." 

"  In  the  attempt  to  perform  such  a  service  to  the  Church  of 
Christ,  it  has  been  held  right  to  overlook  all  considerations  of 
individual  authorship.  It  matters  but  little  to  the  Church  that  it 
knows  not,  with  very  few  exceptions,  from  what  pen  proceeded 
any  one  of  its  prayers  or  collects ;  and  the  name  of  the  versifier  of 
a  psalm  is  of  still  less  moment.  For  the  same  cause,  a  part  of  a 
psalm,  a  verse,  a  line,  even  a  mere  phrase,  has  been  taken  with- 
out hesitation  from  one  writer  and  interwoven  with  the  work  of 
another;  and  any  change  that  seemed  an  improvement  has  been 
introduced  with  the  consciousness  of  absolute  freedom.  If  the 
result  has  been  success,  no  other  justification  is  demanded.  If 
it  has  been  anything  but  success,  the  happiness  may  still  be  left 
for  later  hands ;  but  not,  it  is  believed,  from  the  present  resources 
of  our  language  and  literature. 

In  the  mean  time,  this  Psalter  in  English  verse  is  commended 
to  the  kindly  favor  of  the  Church,  and  to  the  gracious  accept- 
ance of  Almighty  God." 

To  enable  us  to  appreciate  the  immense  amount  of  labor  in- 
volved in  this  work,  we  need  to  multiply  the  150  psalms  by  the 
18  versions  consulted,  and  to  add  to  the  number  many  versions 
of  single  psalms;  and  then  to  remember  that  these  2700  psalms 
or  more  were  not  merely  read,  but  studied  and  compared,  verse 
by  verse,  and  line  by  line. 

The  last  meeting  of  the  Committee  was  held  at  Brookline,  in 
August,  1865.  At  this  meeting  the  only  members  present  were 
Bishop  Burgess,  Dr.  Howe,  President  Eliot,  and  Dr.  Wharton. 
By  the  members  thus  assembled  a  report  was  inade  to  the  Gene- 
ral Convention  which  met  in  Philadelphia  in  1865,  which  report 
consisted,  in  the  main,  of  a  selection  from  the  ''Hymns  for 
Church  and  Home."  The  collection  thus  reported  was  referred 
by  the  House  of  Deputies  to  the  House  of  Bishops  for  action, 
and  was  the  basis  of  the  "Additional  Hymns"  now  licensed 
for  use. 


136  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Of  the  Bishop's  feelmgs  with  regard  to  this  collection,  one  of 
the  Committee  says: — 

"I  do  not  think  that  he  was  satisfied  with  it,  but  he  thought  it 
was  the  best  that  could  be  prepared,  and  he  seemed  to  despair  of 
our  being  able  to  obtain,  under  the  constitution  of  our  General 
Convention,  any  very  important  addition  to  our  present  stock." 

In  reference  to  the  final  meeting  at  Brookline,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Wharton  writes: — 

"I  cannot  forget  the  deep  impression  produced  on  us  all  by 
the  visit  the  Bishop  paid  me,  in  August,  1865,  in  order  to  meet, 
for  the  last  time,  the  Committee.  He  arrived  before  breakfast  on 
a  very  beautiful  morning,  having  travelled  all  night;  and,  as  I 
met  him  at  the  carriage-door,  I  was  startled  at  the  change  in  his 
appearance.  He  looked  much  fallen  away,  and  I  soon  found 
that  he  was  troubled  by  a  cough  which  harassed  him  day  and 
night.  Yet  nothing  could  induce  him  to  spare  himself;  and 
his  debility,  if  it  were  such,  in  no  way  qualified  or  damped  the 
ardor,  and,  at  the  same  time,  business  energy  with  which  he  took 
the  lead  in  our  deliberations.  Two  things  were  very  remarkable 
about  him  at  these  meetings.  One  was  the  exactness  and  deter- 
mination with  which  he  kept  to  the  work,  whose  direction  fell 
mainly  into  his  hands  as  chairman.  The  other  was  the  seraphic 
spirit  by  which  he  seemed  to  be  possessed,  throwing  its  halo  over 
him  in  the  merest  detail.  Sometimes,  in  reading  or  quoting  a 
hymn,  his  face  seemed  to  be  lit  up  as  with  a  glory,  and,  on  one 
occasion,  when  repeating  the  hymn  of  Keble, 

'  Sun  of  my  soul,  Thou  Saviour  dear,' 

his  voice  and  face  seemed  almost  transfigured,  and  remain  on 
my  mind  with  a  vividness  that  can  never  be  effaced." 


xxni. 

THE  BISHOP  IN  MAINE. 

This  letter,  chiefly  of  reminiscences,  is  supplied  by  Bishop 
Armitage,  for  some  years  a  Presbyter  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine. 

"The  first  time  I  saw  Bishop  Burgess  was  at  the  Commence- 
ment of  the  General  Theological  Seminary,  June  27th,  1850,  at 
which  he  addressed  the  graduating  class  on  '  The  Passage  into 
the    Ministry.'     The  Trustees  paid  him  the   unusual  honor  of 


THE  BISHOP  IN  MAINE.  137 

printing  the  address  at  the  time;  but  it  deserves  to  be  one  of  our 
standard  tracts,  to  be  read  by  every  candidate  for  Holy  Orders. 
The  thoroughness  with  which  it  brings  out  that  period  of  clerical 
life,  and  the  practical  wisdom  of  its  counsels,  impressed  it  upon 
my  memory  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  addresses  I  ever  heard, 
and  its  clear  and  beautiful  style,  and  the  speaker's  simple  yet 
dignified  delivery,  no  doubt  assisted  in  drawing  me  towards  him 
as  I  had  been  seldom  drawn  to  a  stranger  before.  Meeting 
him  again  but  once  during  my  diaconate,  the  impression  was 
so  deepened,  that  when  in  1854  I  was  deciding  between  two  in- 
vitations to  work,  it  was  an  influence  in  favor  of  St.  Mark's 
Church,  Augusta,  that  he  would  be  my  Bishop,  and  but  six 
miles  from  my  parish.  From  July  in  that  year  I  enjoyed  for 
five  years  the  intercourse  with  him  for  which  I  had  hoped ;  find- 
ing in  it  benefit  and  pleasure  beyond  all  my  expectations.  I 
fear  I  cannot  tell  what  I  feel  of  the  life-long  advantage  it  was  to 
me  to  have  his  calm,  wise,  disciplined  mind,  and  character,  and 
example,  before  me  and  with  me  through  those  early  years  of 
ministerial  work.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  left  him  without  being 
conscious  of  an  impulse  to  higher  levels,  either  spiritual  or  in- 
tellectual, more  often  both. 

His  Diocese  was  too  poor  to  relieve  him  from  the  charge  of  a 
parish;  though  I  doubt  if  he  would  have  accepted  that  relief. 
With  but  sixteen  or  eighteen  parishes,  with  very  few  towns 
beside  where  any  churchmen  could  be  found,  and  with  very  hard 
Puritan  soil  to  work  upon,  he  did  not  feel  that  he  could  spend 
his  time  at  large  as  profitably  as  in  the  charge  of  a  parish  from 
which  he  could  go  as  occasion  required.  His  great  delight 
seemed  to  be  in  his  parish.  His  Diocese  might  often  be  dis- 
heartening, but  he  could  always  find  comfort  and  encourage- 
ment in  Christ  Church,  Gardiner,  which  prospered  more  and 
more  under  his  ministry.  Perhaps  that  hardly  expresses  my 
thought,  for  no  man  was  less  moved  by  prosperous  or  adverse 
circumstances  in  the  way  of  duty.  But  when  he  had  been  away 
to  minister  to  some  little  flock  for  whom  he  could  not  find  a 
shepherd,  or  when  news  came  that  another  of  his  few  presbyters, 
or  perhaps  a  valuable  layman,  was  about  to  leave  him,  or  when 
anything  renewed  the  conviction,  which  he  manfully  accepted, 
that  nothing  great  could  be  accomplished  in  a  Diocese  lacking 
both  men  and  means,  I  think  he  found  then  a  solace,  and  a  help 
to  be  patient  in  the  pastoral  work  which  he  loved  so  well.  His 
diocesan  policy,  so  to  speak,  was  deliberately  chosen,  and  no 
leader  of  a  forlorn  hope  was  ever  more  heroic  than  he  was 
through  those  seventeen  years  of  unintermitted  toil,  leading  a 
little  handful  of  clergy  constantly  changing,  and  counting  it 
growth  if  a  new  parish  was  added  every  year  or  two. 


1 3  8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  B  UR  GESS. 

The  missions  of  the  Diocese  were  directed  by  a  Board,  con- 
sisting of  all  the  clergy  and  one  elected  layman  from  each  parish, 
and  meeting  usually  four  times  a  year.  There  were  thus  five 
occasions  of  clerical  gathering  during  the  year,  and  I  am  sure 
that  every  one  of  the  little  band  now  so  widely  scattered,  recalls 
those  occasions  among  the  most  delightful  he  has  ever  known. 
A  small  Diocese  has  its  compensations,  and  one  is,  the  mutual 
intimacy  of  clergy  and  parishes.  These  meetings  drew  us  all 
together.  Most  of  the  parishes  received  missionary  aid  ;  so  their 
condition  was  stated  and  fully  discussed  at  the  business  meeting. 
Promising  stations,  somebody's  desire  for  the  services  of  the 
Church  here  or  there,  the  discovery  of  another  Church  family 
'  in  partibus  infidelium,'  all  brought  out  suggestions,  mutual 
offers  of  assistance,  clerical  labor,  exchanges,  &c.,  which  made 
our  brotherhood  far  more  than  it  can  be  in  most  dioceses.  The 
Bishop  kept  a  list  of  scattered  Church  families,  and  few  of  them 
passed  a  year,  I  am  sure,  without  some  proof  of  his  remembrance, 
a  letter,  a  book,  some  papers  or  tracts,  if  not  a  visit  from  him- 
self or  a  clergyman.  Our  meetings  were  no  more  free  from 
differences  of  opinion  than  others,  but  they  could  not  damage  the 
esprit  du  corps,  while  Bishop  Burgess  was  in  the  chair.  His  way 
was  to  allow  the  widest  freedom  of  debate,  and  at  last,  when  the 
right  moment  came,  to  give  a  calm  judicious  summing  up  of  the 
whole  matter,  pointing  out  the  right  and  the  wrong  of  each  side, 
or  of  each  speaker,  under  which  whatever  feeling  had  arisen 
would  die  away,  and  the  action  would  at  least  be  deliberate.  He 
would  hardly  have  been  called  a  great  parliamentarian,  or  an 
admirable  presiding  officer  of  a  popular  assembly ;  but  in  a 
Church  gathering  where  he  felt  that  he  had  the  right  to  assume, 
and  appeal  to.  Christian  hearts,  he  was  a  model  of  noble  and 
dignified  tact  and  courtesy.  His  exact  business  habits  were  im- 
pressed on  the  Diocese.  I  may  mention,  in  proof  of  this,  that 
having  been  Secretary  of  several  conventions,  I  was  able  to  return 
from  them  with  the  entire  copy  of  the  Journal  ready  for  the 
printer,  every  report  and  document  having  been  punctually 
handed  in.  The  suffering  secretaries  of  most  of  our  conventions 
will  appreciate  this  fact,  if  others  do  not. 

The  Bishop's  intellectual  influence  was  shown  in  the  public 
services  in  connection  with  these  meetings.  Often  there  was  a 
course  of  sermons,  by  different  preachers,  always  one  or  two 
were  prepared  for  the  occasion,  each  man  doing  his  best,  for 
that  was  the  tone  given  to  all  by  the  leader.  I  recall  a  course 
on  the  Epistles  to  the  Seven  Churches,  one  on  the  resurrection  in 
its  different  aspects,  one  on  missions,  which  drew  out  Dr.  Ballard's 
admirable  sketch  of  the  early  history  of  the  Church  in  Maine, 
all  worthy  of  note  for  the  care  and  study  spent  upon  them,  and 


THE  BISHOP  IN  MAINE.  I39 

their  great  interest  both  to  preachers  and  hearers.  The  Bishop 
himself  nearly  always  preached,  and  then  his  sermon,  as  on  all 
special  occasions,  though  delivered  in  a  little  country  church  to 
a  mere  handful,  was  strong,  full,  beautiful,  worthy  of  any  pulpit 
in  the  land.  At  the  missionary  meetings,  when  extempore  ad- 
dresses were  expected,  we  always  felt  that  the  Bishop  was  our 
strength.  We  did  not  like  to  have  him  lead  ;  for  often  the 
waiting  speakers  would  see  one  thought  after  another  drawn  from 
their  store,  until  sometimes  they  could  only  regain  them  with  the 
preface,  'as  the  Bishop  has  remarked,'  '  as  you  have  just  heard 
the  Bishop  say.'  But  his  power  as  the  last  speaker  was  to  me  a 
study.  We  never  had  impoverished  him.  And  he  had  such  a 
happy  art  of  summing  up  all  that  had  been  said,  and  supple- 
menting it ;  of  drawing  out  some  hint  of  the  occasion,  or  of  the 
time  of  the  year,  which  had  been  overlooked  ;  of  further  explain- 
ing or  illustrating  a  thought  which  some  self-accusing  listener  was 
now  conscious  that  he  had  stated  imperfectly  or  unguardedly ;  and 
then  of  lifting  all,  subject,  occasion,  speakers,  hearers  up  into 
the  light  of  the  blessed  Gospel  we  had  met  to  advance,  that, 
however  the  meeting  had  seemed  before,  we  felt  our  hearts 
warmed  for  our  work  as  we  parted.  I  believe  that  these  gather- 
ings were  always  pleasant  to  him.  He  never  failed  to  attend 
them,  nor  did  the  clergy,  when  they  could  possibly  leave  home. 
Aside  from  the  love  and  reverence  they  bore  him,  the  profit  of 
his  companionship  and  the  opportunity  of  his  counsel  made  his 
presence  the  strongest  attraction.  I  recall  long  stage  rides,  and 
two  or  three  days  on  steamboats,  on  the  way  to  and  from  these 
meetings  in  his  company,  as  no  less  delightful  than  the  meetings 
themselves.  Once,  after  a  Convention  in  Portland,  the  clergy, 
with  only  two  exceptions,  prolonged  their  holiday  and  went  on  a 
fishing  excursion  down  the  beautiful  bay.  They  were  gone  until 
almost  dark,  and  I  remember  the  Bishop's  expression  of  relief  on 
our  return,  '  I  have  been  anxious  all  day  at  having  all  the  clergy 
of  the  Diocese  in  one  little  boat.'  He  had  strong  personal 
attachment  to  them  all,  apparently,  the  heartiest  sympathy  in 
their  joys  and  sorrows,  and  the  charity  always  to  find  out  the 
good  in  each  man,  and  insist  upon  it  as  it  were  to  himself  and 
to  others. 

His  visits  to  our  parishes  were  not  very  long,  but  frequent  as 
convenient.  His  performance  of  the  Episcopal  offices  was  solemn 
and  impressive  ;  his  sermons  and  addresses  fresh,  and  prepared 
for  the  occasion.  Even  his  addresses  to  the  confirmed  had  al- 
ways that  tone,  although  it  would  be  modified  most  happily  by 
the  nature  of  the  class.  He  was  no  musician,  and  had  no  delicate 
appreciation  of  music,  a  lack  which  every  Bishop  has  reason  to 
envy  now  and  then,  and  I  think  that  he  offered  his  praises  quite 


140  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

as  much  in  reading  the  metrical  psahn,  and  the  hymn,  which  he 
did  at  length,  as  in  the  singing  which  followed  it.  The  announce- 
ment of  his  coming  would  generally  fill  any  church  in  the  Dio- 
cese, indeed  any  building  in  the  State  even  where  there  was  no 
parish ;  and  no  one  ever  went  away  without  the  impression  that 
he  was  indeed  '  a  man  of  God. '  I  believe  that  as  the  charac- 
ter of  Bishop  Griswold  has  lingered  in  New  England  beyond  his 
personal  work,  and  is  still  valuable  to  the  Church  ;  so  it  will  be 
found  that  the  life  and  character  of  the  first  Bishop  of  Maine  is  a 
precious  inheritance  to  the  Diocese  in  whose  behalf  he  was  so 
willing  '  to  spend  and  be  spent.'* 

I  said  that  his  visits  to  our  parishes  were  frequent.  His  own 
Church  was  never  left  unsupplied.  In  rare  cases  he  would  leave 
it  to  lay  reading  ;  but  usually,  favored,  as  he  was  for  a  time,  with 
a  clergyman  resident  in  Gardiner,  and  in  the  summer  with  cleri- 
cal visitors,  he  provided  a  substitute  in  the  chancel  and  went 
his  way.  The  nearest  parishes  he  visited  by  exchange,  except 
on  occasions  of  confirmation.  We  used  to  have  few  idle  Sundays. 
If  some  clerical  brother  had  found  his  way  to  us  and  we  were 
rejoicing  in  the  hope  of  '  being  preached  to'  on  the  Sunday,  if 
our  own  conscience  did  not  prick  us  to  the  offer,  the  Bishop's 
request  was  sure  to  come,  '  as  Mr.  So  and  So  is  with  you,  I  should 
be  glad  to  have  you  take  my  place,  that  I  may  go  to  such  a  par- 
ish or  town,'  as  the  case  might  be.  And  then  some  poor  brother, 
struggling  at  a  hard  mission,  or  some  little  flock  without  a  shep- 
herd, or  some  place  which  knew  nothing  of  the  Church,  would 
have  the  benefit  or  comfort  of  a  Sunday  from  him,  at  any  cost 
to  himself.  It  is  sad  now  to  think  of  his  unresting  industry.  He 
never  took  a  vacation,  never  had  a  quiet  Sunday,  until  his  health 
began  to  fail.  At  home,  he  had  two  full  services,  his  Sunday 
school,  and  his  evening  Bible  class  ;  sometimes  for  weeks  in 
succession,  contriving  to  officiate  at  Hallowell,  four  miles  off, 
after  his  afternoon  service ;  on  all  other  days  he  studied,  and  wrote 
always  two  sermons  a  week  when  at  home ;  he  bore  the  pastoral 
charge  of  the  largest  parish  in  the  town,  and  visited  constantly, 
not  only  its  people,  but  the  sick  and  the  dying,  and  the  suffering 
who,  even  if  they  loved  not  the  Church,  loved  him.  When  he 
left  home,  it  was  always  for  work.     A  visit,  without  some  purpose 

*  The  use  of  that  phrase  reminds  me  how  literally  he  followed  the  Apostle's 
example,  spending  not  only  his  time  and  labor  and  thought,  but  also  his  sub- 
stance for  his  Diocese.  He  never  received  from  it  more  than  his  travelling 
expenses,  I  suppose ;  but  whenever  the  Treasurer's  Report  was  presented  to 
the  Convention  by  our  other  chief  benefactor,  the  venerable  Robert  H.  Gardiner, 
those  who  put  together  the  Bishop's  various  donations,  found  that  he  had  given 
perhaps  two  or  three  times  as  much  as  he  had  received.  And  that  report  in- 
cluded only  a  certain  class  of  his  gifts,  which  had  to  appear,  not  always  with 
his  own  name,  for  the  sake  of  the  Treasurer's  accounts. 


THE  BISHOP  IN  MAINE.  141 

of  duty,  even  to  relatives  and  friends,  marked  an  era  for  him  for 
months.  And  his  incessant  brain  work  running  through  all  this ; 
his  large  correspondence,  his  unbroken  sermon  writing,  his 
frequent  special  discourses  and  addresses,  his  labors  for  the  press, 
his  continued  acquisition  of  information  and  learning,  who  can 
wonder  that  even  his  iron  constitution  gave  way  at  last  ?  I  fear 
he  must  be  added  to  the  list  of  eminent  men  whose  days  were 
shortened  by  refusing  to  their  bodies  the  relaxation,  and  rest,  and 
care  which  they  need  to  be  good  servants  to  the  mind. 

I  have  written  of  Bishop  Burgess'  public  appearances.  I  feel, 
however,  that  the  love  and  reverence  and  gratitude  which  I  shall 
always  cherish  for  him,  were  quite  as  much  due  to  the  private 
intercourse  which  our  neighborhood  afforded  me.  It  was  a  keen 
delight  to  sit  down  with  him  in  his  study ;  he  never  permitted  it 
to  seem  to  interrupt  him,  and  after  the  business  in  hand  was 
disposed  of,  to  get  him  to  discuss  a  subject,  character,  period, 
event,  whatever  it  might  be,  with  the  full  freedom  of  conversation. 
If  it  were  a  question  of  present  interest  in  the  Church,  a  policy, 
or  a  course  of  action,  in  a  few  moments  you  would  have  it  cleared 
from  all  the  entanglements  of  local  and  accidental  circumstances, 
and  be  looking  at  the  principles  involved,  with  the  help  of  former 
precedents  perhaps,  in  a  broad,  comprehensive,  tolerant  way, 
which  was  most  elevating.  If  it  were  a  biographical  or  historical 
subject,  you  would  be  struck  with  the  extent  and  remarkable 
accuracy  of  his  information.  If  it  were  a  matter  of  controversy, 
theological,  moral,  political,  you  would  find  that  he  had  studied 
both  sides,  had  made  up  his  opinion,  and  could  give  you  his 
reasons.  If  it  were  a  matter  of  literature,  specially  of  our  own  lan- 
guage, you  would  be  fortunate  in  touching  his  favorite  topic.  He 
had  been  an  extensive,  I  might  almost  say,  universal  reader,  and 
accustomed  to  committing  much  to  memory,  especially  poetry  ; 
and  whether  he  repeated  or  read,  it  was  a  delight  to  feel  his  en- 
thusiasm as  he  went  on.  He  was  always  so  kind  and  forbearing, 
so  patient  to  his  inferiors  in  mind  and  acquirement,  so  gene- 
rously ready  to  meet  them  at  their  own  point,  that  his  learning, 
like  his  personal  influence,  was  a  continual  benefit  to  all  his  clergy, 
not  a  reservoir  guarded  for  his  own  use,  but  a  fountain  to  which 
all  were  welcome  who  chose  to  come. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  an  idea  of  the  Bishop's  enjoyment  of 
wit  and  humor,  which  one  would  hardly  have  suspected  in  a 
casual  acquaintance  with  him.  It  was  a  great  and  constant 
charm  of  his  conversation  and  his  home  life.  He  had  a  keen 
sense  of  the  ridiculous  wherever  it  appeared  ;  but  his  taste  and 
his  clerical  dignity  alike  restrained  his  telling  of  anecdotes  ex- 
cept in  illustration  of  the  matter  in  hand.  His  mind  was  too 
well  stored  to  need  any  such  conversational  refuge ;  and  he  was 


142  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

not  a  talker  who  disliked  to  listen.  His  love  of  fun  therefore 
showed  itself,  not  in  any  steady  flow  of  humorous  reminiscence 
or  expression,  but  in  the  continual  ripple  on  the  stream  of  con- 
versation. It  was  a  graceful  ornament  of  speech  and  life, 
sparkling  here  and  there  wherever  it  came  in  place,  always 
refined  and  intellectual,  never  even  verging  upon  the  coarse  or 
the  merely  ludicrous.  I  find  it  impossible  to  record  instances 
for  others,  but  to  this  day  a  subject  or  a  character  now  and  then 
catches  a  sudden  glow  as  my  memory  recalls  dear  Bishop  Bur- 
gess speaking  of  it  with  one  of  his  peculiar  smiles,  accompa- 
nied with  a  nervous  rubbing  of  his  hands  together,  which 
expressed  a  great  deal.  The  epithet  '  genial'  might  be  denied 
him  by  one  who  saw  him  elsewhere ;  but  in  his  own  home,  or 
where  he  felt  equally  at  home,  his  claim  to  it  was  undisputed. 

I  feel  the  unworthiness  of  this  sketch,  and  trust  that  it  is  to 
be  supplemented  by  others  who  will  do  better  justice  to  the  re- 
markable character  which,  I  fear,  many  still  fail  to  appreciate. 
I  thank  God  that  I  knew  him  intimately,  and  pray  that  I  may 
never  forget  his  example.  Running  through  all  his  life  as  I  saw 
it,  never  obtrusive  but  always  apparent,  was  the  devout,  devoted, 
Christian  spirit,  which  touched  everything  he  said  and  did  with 
the  light  of  consecration  to  the  Master.  You  could  not  be  with 
him  long  without  feeling  that  his  communion  with  the  Lord  was 
constant,  that  he  knew  '  the  peace  of  God  which  passeth  under- 
standing,' that  he  lived  for  Christ,  and  in  Christ,  to  do  the 
work  which  He  laid  upon  him.  That  complete  self-consecra- 
tion was  the  secret  of  his  learning,  his  influence,  his  wisdom, 
in  short,  of  all  that  made  him  what  he  was.  Not  his  Diocese 
alone,  but  the  whole  Church  was  called  to  mourn  one  of  her 
foremost  men,  when  the  news  came  that  George  Burgess  had 
passed  from  his  work  to  his  reward." 


XXIV. 

DIOCESAN  SEMINARIES. 

It  was  believed  by  some  of  the  clergy  of  Maine,  that  if  a 
Theological  Seminary  could  be  founded  within  the  Diocese,  it 
would  not  only  make  it  easier  to  retain  those  candidates  who 
canonically  belonged  to  it,  but  would  be  the  means  of  drawing 
others  within  its  limits.  Several  attempts  were  made  to  enlist 
the  Bishop  in  such  an  enterprise,  but  he  long  objected.     Per- 


DIO  CESAN  SEMINA  RIES.  1 43 

haps  his  reasons  cannot  be  more  easily  stated  than  through 
extracts  from  letters,  written  years  before,  and  having  reference 
to  other  like  enterprises. 

Hartford,  February  5th,  1836,  he  wrote:  ''You  ask  my  opin- 
ion respecting  the  proposed  theological  seminary  in  Massachu- 
setts. I  must  confess  that  it  appears  to  me  quite  inexpedient  to 
undertake  such  an  enterprise,  because  the  Church  is  not  yet 
extensive  enough  to  need  it;  because  it  is  not  best  that  all  our 
clergy  should  be  educated  at  seminaries ;  because  the  seminary 
at  New  York  offers  advantages  superior  by  far  to  any  which  a 
new  one  can  possess ;  because  it  is  no  inconvenience  for  young 
men  from  the  East  to  go  to  New  York ;  because  the  argument 
that  young  men  leave  the  Eastern  Diocese  is  without  weight, 
since  they  will  always  go  where  they  are  most  needed  and  called 
for;  because  the  establishment  of  a  seminary  would  tend  to 
cherish  a  diocesan  feeling,  which  is  not  at  all  to  be  wished  ; 
because  it  would  take  several  able  clergymen  from  parishes 
which  cannot  spare  them  to  become  professors ;  because  it  would 
cost  a  great  sum,  which  is  far,  far  more  needed  for  missionary 
objects;  and  because  I  think  it  very  wrong  to  waste  the  bounty 
of  the  Christian  community.  It  seems  to  me  that  we  in  Con- 
necticut can  look  on  with  impartiality ;  and  I  think  that  my  view 
is  that  of  many  others  in  this  Diocese." 

And  again,  a  month  later,  on  the  same  subject,  he  added : — 

March  5,  1836.  "In  reply  to  my  objections  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts Theological  Seminary,  you  suggest  that  it  may  be  use- 
ful in  drawing  the  attention  of  young  men  to  the  ministry.  This 
suggestion  would  have  its  force  to  my  mind,  in  relation  to  Ohio, 
or  Kentucky,  or  Illinois;  but  here,  if  the  vicinity  of  a  seminary 
is  to  be  needed  for  this  purpose,  I  should  fear  the  absence  of 
other,  better,  and  stronger  motives.  If  the  wants  of  the  world, 
and  the  perpetual  call  for  laborers,  are  not  enough,  yet  let  us 
not  be  burdened  with  men  who  come  into  the  ministry  only  be- 
cause the  Seminary  is  so  convenient.  But,  perhaps,  I  misunder- 
stood the  force  of  the  argument,  which  I  would  not,  by  any 
means,  decide." 

In  a  letter  dated  March  24,  1849,  ^^^  wrote: — 

"  For  Bishop  Doane,  I  am  very  much  grieved.  But  as  to  the 
public  effect,  it  may  be  well  that  it  should  be  felt  that  there  is  a 
limit  to  Episcopal  exertions  and  responsibilities.  A  career  like 
his  seemed  almost  to  suppose  the  reverse.  To  preside,  to  counsel, 
to  animate,  to  suggest,  to  oversee ;  all  these,  apart  from  the  strictly 


144  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

spiritual  offices  which  a  Bishop  alone  can  discharge,  are  doubt- 
less his  province.  But  to  originate  everything,  to  be  the  soul  of 
everything ;  to  have  a  parish,  a  diocese,  a  school  for  girls,  a 
school  for  boys,  a  college,  and  perhaps  a  seminary  all  his  own, 
and  under  his  daily  eye;  and  last  of  all,  to  furnish  the  funds,  or 
if  not,  to  be  responsible  for  them  in  some  way ;  this  is  what  none 
but  Bishop  Doane  could  do  so  fully,  and  what  it  is  better  that 
none  else  should  undertake. ' ' 

In  another  letter,  dated  February  27,  1850,  is  found  this 
passage  : — 

"I  grieve   to   hear  of  the   misfortunes  of  Bishop   ,    in 

which,  too,  as  I  understand,  Dr.  is,  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, involved.  Of  the  purity  of  the  Bishop's  designs,  nay,  of 
their  magnanimity,  I  have  not  a  moment's  question.  But  I 
cannot  but  remember  how,  at  the  last  General  Convention, 
when  the  subject  of  an  African  Bishop  was  mentioned  in  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Missions,  and  I  expressed  some  hesita- 
tion, not  as  to  sending  any  one  who  might  be  ready  to  offer 
himself,  but  as  to  summoning  any  one  who  might,  perhaps,  re- 
gard the  summons  as  a  divine  call,  and  lay  down  a  valuable  life 

as   the  sacrifice.  Bishop  and   Bishop  quite    rejected 

any  such  consideration,  and  treated  it  as  a  simple  matter  of  faith, 
and  thought  that  the  sacrifice  would  but  strengthen  and  carry 
forward  the  cause.  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  the  same  refusal 
to  take  into  view  evident  consequences  and  reasonable  proba- 
bilities, and  the  determination  rather  to  venture  all  under  high 
and  generous  impulses,  with  a  mistaken  application  of  the  name 
of  faith,  may  have  had  its  influence  on  their  large  but  unfortu- 
nate enterprises." 

At  the  Convention  which  met  at  Augusta  in  1864,  the  subject 
of  a  Theological  Seminary  in  Maine  was  introduced,  and  so  strong 
an  influence  was  brought  to  bear  upon  him,  that  he  yielded  a 
qualified  assent.  He  had  always  been  ready  to  give  his  own 
time  to  the  instruction  of  such  candidates  for  orders  as  sought 
his  aid  and  preferred  a  private  course.  He  now  consented  to  a 
somewhat  more  elaborate  arrangement.  Apartments  were  pro- 
cured for  a  few  students  in  the  house  next  to  his  own  in  Gardiner; 
a  daily  course  of  instruction  was  arranged  to  be  divided  between 
himself  and  the  Rev.  Frederic  Gardiner,  at  that  time  residing  in 
the  town,  and  lectures  were  to  be  given  in  turn  by  all  the  clergy 
who  were  sufficiently  near  to  be  included  in  the  plan.     Yet  he 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  145 

positively  refused  to  allow  the  name  Seminary  to  be  used,  or  to 
undertake  more  than,  as  he  said,  "could  be  dropped  at  any 
moment,  without  any  sense  of  failure." 

The  result  showed  his  wisdom.  Four  young  men  availed 
themselves  of  the  opportunity  thus  offered,  three  of  whom  were 
ordained,  at  the  same  time,  in  July,  1865.  Then  the  removal 
of  Mr.  Gardiner  from  the  Diocese,  and  the  failure  of  the  Bishop's 
health  forbade  the  continuance  of  this  plan  of  instruction,  and  it 
was  quietly  "dropped,  without  any  sense  of  failure." 


XXV. 

BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST. 

In  portraying  Bishop  Burgess  as  a  Parish  Priest,  it  will  be  well 
to  consider  him  first  in  his  public  and  then  in  his  more  private 
ministrations.  All  will  bear  witness  that  in  his  public  services 
he  was  unwearied,  never  sparing  himself.  Both  in  Hartford 
and  in  Gardiner  he  added  to  the  regular  morning  and  evening 
services  of  the  Lord's  day  many  other  labors.  He  always 
spent  a  portion  of  time  in  the  Sunday  School,  catechizing  and 
otherwise  instructing  the  children;  and,  if  the  teacher  of  an 
advanced  class  was  absent,  and  difficulty  was  found  in  supplying 
the  vacancy,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  take  that  duty  on  himself. 
In  Hartford,  he  had  frequent  Sunday  evening  services,  at  one 
time  preaching  a  third  sermon  in  the  church  on  the  first  Sunday 
of  the  month;  at  another,  alternately  with  the  Rector  of  St. 
John's  Church,  and  at  another,  devoting  the  evening  to  a  Bible 
class  for  young  men,  or  an  hour  in  the  morning  to  a  Bible 
class  for  young  women.  While  residing  in  Hartford  the  Wed- 
nesday evening  services  in  the  chapel  were  never  omitted  at 
any  season  of  the  year  or  in  any  weather;  but  in  Gardiner  he 
foui)d  it  necessary  to  omit  them  in  stormy  weather,  for,  if  he 
took  no  thought  for  himself,  he  had  too  much  consideration  for 
his  people  to  urge  them  to  encounter  the  dangers  of  a  walk,  or  of 
a  ride  on  a  dark  night  through  unlighted  streets  or  over  muddy 
roads.     To  the  regular  services  in  his  own  church,  he  added 

10 


146 


MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 


much  missionary  labor  both  in  Connecticut  and  in  Maine,  at 
different  times,  having  regularly  a  service  in  some  neighbor- 
ing town,  and  always  so  arranged  it  that  it  did  not  interfere 
with  what  he  thought  due  to  those  more  directly  under  his  charge. 
He  has  been  known  to  hold  his  two  services  in  Gardiner  at  the 
usual  hour,  then  to  drive  four  miles  to  Hallowell,  where  he  held 
a  third  service  and  preached,  and  to  return  with  the  intention  of 
having  a  fourth  service  in  his  own  church.  It  was  not  strange 
if,  by  seven  o'clock,  he  was  not  merely  hoarse,  but  speechless, 
and  unable  to  officiate  for  the  fourth  time. 

During  the  whole  of  his  residence  in  Gardiner,  until  his 
health  failed,  it  was  his  practice  to  have,  besides  those  of  the 
morning  and  afternoon,  a  third  service  on  Sunday  evening. 
Occasionally  this  was  in  the  church,  when  he  preached  a  third 
sermon,  but  usually  it  was  a  familiar  service  in  the  chapel,  when, 
after  a  few  collects,  the  reading  of  a  chapter,  and  the  singing  of 
a  hymn,  he  sat  down,  with  the  Bible  on. a  table  before  him,  and 
either  explained  some  portion  of  the  Scripture,  or  instructed  his 
people  in  the  various  duties  of  life.  He  said  that  in  such  a 
familiar  lecture  he  could  say  many  things  which  might  fall  a 
little  below  the  dignity  of  a  sermon. 

The  subjects  of  these  lectures  were  always  announced  in  the 
afternoon ;  and  often  the  chapel  was  crowded  with  an  interested 
congregation.  Many  young  men  were  attracted  to  these  ser- 
vices, and  these,  with  strangers  residing  for  a  brief  season  in 
Gardiner,  and  some  who  never  joined  his  congregation  at  other 
times,  have  expressed  their  gratitude  for  the  instruction  they 
there  received. 

Often  the  subjects  of  these  lectures  were  suggested  by  some 
event  of  recent  occurrence,  of  local  or  more  public  interest;  at 
other  times  he  instructed  his  hearers  in  the  every-day  duties  of 
life.     A  list  of  some  of  these  subjects  has  been  preserved  : — 


Religion  in  the  concerns  of  business. 
Religious  reading. 
Outward  duties  and  observances  of 
religion. 

Duties  of  sickness. 
Piety  in  young  men. 
Ministry  of  angels. 


Preparation  for  a  profession  of  reli- 
gion. 

The  picture  of  a  Christian  parish. 

Spiritual  destitution  around  us. 

History  of  the  Prayer  Book. 

Early  death — many  young  people 
having  recently  died. 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST. 


147 


The  religion  of  the  patriarchs. 

The  rehgion  of  the  Jews  between 
Moses  and  David. 

The  religion  of  the  Jews  between 
David  and  the  captivity. 

The  period  between  the  Babylonish 
captivity  and  the  incarnation. 

Religion  in  the  time  of  our  Saviour's 
life  on  earth. 

The  times  of  the  Apostles. 

The  history  of  the  Church  in  the  first 
century. 

Progress  of  Christianity  down  to 
Constantine. 

The  Reformation. 

Two  lectures  on  the  English  Refor- 
mation. 

Dec.  30.  Close  of  the  year  and 
commencement  of  the  half  century. 

Practical  way  of  salvation. 

Experimental  religion. 

Taking  up  the  cross. 

Membership  in  the  Christian  Church. 

Progress  in  piety. 


Education  of  l)oys  and  responsibili- 
ties of  fathers. 

Conversation. 

Example. 

Difficulties  of  Scripture. 

Missions  abroad  and  at  home. 

The  General  Convention  and  its 
work. 

Career  of  St.  Paul,  as  exemjDlifying 
usefulness  and  happiness. 

The  state  of  departed  saints. 

Regularity  in  religion. 

The  ministry. 

Propagation  of  the  Gospel  among 
the  heathen. 

Hymns. 

Need  of  salvation. 

The  provision  for  our  salvation. 

Means  of  becoming  partakers  of  sal- 
vation. 

To  men. 

Confirmation. 

The  unity  of  the  human  race. 

Sacred  music. 


On  some  occasions  he  was  requested  to  repeat  his  lectures  in 
the  church,  as  when  he  had  lectured  on  Intemperance  and  Pro- 
fane Swearing.  These  he  enlarged  into  regular  sermons,  and 
delivered  them  to  crowded  congregations.  The  variety  of  sub- 
jects here  named  will  show  how,  out  of  the  well-filled  store- 
house of  his  mind,  he  brought  forth  things  new  and  old,  and 
with  what  nourishing  food  he  fed  his  flock. 

At  one  time  he  explained  the  Book  of  the  Revelation;  at 
another,  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  He  has  varied  these  eve- 
ning services  by  substituting  for  a  time  Bible  Classes,  either  for 
gentlemen  alone  or  for  both  sexes ;  but  as  soon  as  he  saw  that 
the  interest  was  abating  he  returned  to  his  familiar  lectures.  He 
used  to  say  that  the  people  liked  variety,  that  a  new  plan  attracted 
new  attention,  and  he  would  not  omit  anything  which  might 
prove  a  means  of  salvation  to  some  who  had  hitherto  been 
unmoved.  It  was  observed  that  when  his  lectures  were  upon  a 
particular  book  in  the  Scriptures,  he  took  a  whole  chapter  each 
evening,  seizing  on  the  principal  points,  without  going  unneces- 
sarily into  detail.  When  it  was  suggested  that  by  taking  a  few 
verses  at  a  time  he  could  lengthen  the  course  and  spare  himself 


148  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

the  necessity  of  soon  thinking  of  another,  he  replied  that  he  did 
not  wish  to  risk  making  it  tedious  to  his  hearers. 

One  incident  is  remembered  which  shows  his  watchful  care  to 
provide  his  people  with  the  food  needed  at  the  time.  While 
Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  there  was  reported  to  him  a 
'conversation,  which  had  been  overheard,  in  which  one  of  his 
parishioners  told  another  that  "  our  Church  was  founded  by  old 
King  Henry,  that  he  was  the  beginning  of  our  Church."  The 
next  Sunday  he  gave  notice  that  on  Wednesday  he  would  com- 
mence a  course  of  lectures  on  Church  History.  After  that,  it 
certainly  was  not  his  fault  if  any  member  of  his  parish  thought 
that  our  Church  dated  no  further  back  than  Henry  the  Eighth. 

To  what  may  be  considered  his  regular  services,  he  added 
many  others.  Without  making  it  a  rule  to  open  the  church  on 
all  saints' -days,  he  yet  took  care  that  they  were  not  forgotten, 
and  generally  made  them  occasions  for  special  and  appropriate 
instruction.  The  greater  festivals  and  fasts  were  always  ob- 
served with  full  services,  and  when  the  minor  holydays,  for  which 
services  were  appointed,  occurred,  he  would  either  arrange  his 
weekly  lectures  so  that  they  might  be  held  on  the  evenings  of 
those  days,  or  he  would  appoint  extra  services  in  the  church, 
giving  parents  an  opportunity  to  bring  their  children  for  baptism. 

On  this  topic  it  may  be  said  that  he  always  preferred  to  bap- 
tize in  the  midst  of  the  service,  in  the  presence  of  the  full  Sunday 
congregation,  but  found  himself  sometimes  obliged  to  offer  these 
more  private  opportunities. 

The  numerous  funerals  which  he  attended  added  largely  to 
his  labors.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  him  to  be  asked  to  attend 
funerals  on  Sunday  at  noon,  often  making  it  necessary  for  him 
to  drive  from  the  church  as  soon  as  the  morning  service  closed, 
to  ride  several  miles  and  to  return  just  in  time  for  the  afternoon 
service.  At  those  seasons  when  the  roads  were  in  a  state  which 
made  riding  in  some  places  dangerous,  the  congregation  have 
awaited  his  return  patiently  a  full  hour  beyond  the  appointed 
time.  Often  the  labor  was  increased  by  a  sermon  being  added 
to  the  funeral  services,  for,  though  it  was  not  his  practice  to 
make  addresses  at  such  times,  he  would  not  refuse  a  word  of 
exhortation  when  he  found  it  expected  by  a  rural  population, 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  149 

SO  scattered  that  they  could  seldom  meet  for  worship  or  religious 
instruction. 

Besides  those  in  his  own  parish,  he  attended  many  funerals 
when  neither  the  deceased  nor  his  kindred  were  connected  with 
the  congregation. 

January  i6th,  1864,  he  writes:  "  No  less  than  eleven  commu- 
nicants have  died  since  the  Convention,  the  middle  of  July,  and 
I  have  attended  twenty-six  funerals.  God  grant  that  the  places 
of  the  departed  may  be  filled  in  His  Church,  and  that  the  living 
may  lay  it  to  heart." 

In  another  letter,  after  mentioning  several  sudden  deaths 
which  occurred  in  his  parish,  he  wrote:  "Let  us  be  ready 
through  the  merits  of  our  blessed  and  only  Saviour.  I  dare  not 
build  any  hope  upon  the  world  ;  but  oh,  how  happy  do  I  feel 
myself  that  my  calling  is  to  proclaim  the  glad  tidings  of  eternal 
life  !  The  ministry  is  dearer  and  dearer  to  my  soul ;  and  yet, 
at  such  admonitions,  its  solemn  responsibility  presses  upon  me 
with  increasing  weight." 

As  the  years  passed  away  he  seemed  to  feel  more  and  more 
strongly  the  necessity  of  seizing  every  occasion  for  instructing 
his  people  and  aiding  them  in  their  devotions.  And  yet  he 
never  proposed  to  have  a  daily  service.  While  he  thought  that 
in  large  cities,  one  or  two  churches  should  be  open  for  daily 
prayer,  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  many  strangers  stopping  for  a 
brief  season,  and  of  isolated  individuals  in  boarding  houses,  who 
could  gather  no  family  around  the  domestic  altar,  he  resisted 
every  attempt  to  make  a  daily  service  obligatory  on  every  par- 
ish minister.  An  example  of  this  may  be  seen  in  the  following 
article,  which  he  wrote  for  the  Chronicle,  then  the  Church  paper 
for  Connecticut: — 

"Mr.  Editor:  If  the  article  on  the  subject  of  daily  service  in 
the  last  Chronicle  had  merely  related  to  the  beauty  or  fitness  of 
daily  morning  and  evening  prayer  in  the  church,  I  should  not 
have  thought  a  reply  necessary.  If  it  had  only  urged  that  a  clergy- 
man ought  to  observe  the  daily  service,  I  think  that  I  should 
still  have  been  silent.  But  when  the  editor  of  a  highly  respect- 
able publication,  '  the  Bishop  and  Standing  Committee  being  a 
committee  of  advice  and  supervision,'  gravely  declares  that  'if 
on  any  given  day  in  a  week,  the  rector  of  a  parish  knows  that 


150  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

he  can  have  a  congregation  to  jom  in  the  prayers  of  the  Church, 
and  he  is  able  to  attend  and  perform  service,  it  is  his  duty  to  do 
so,'  because  'to  refuse  to  open  church  and  chapel  and  celebrate 
divine  service,  under  such  circumstances,  would  be,  in  his  judg- 
ment, a  violation  of  the  ordination  vow,  and  a  breach  of  the 
canons  of  the  Church,  I  must  respectfully  protest  against  this 
mode  of  placing  a  construction  on  canons,  and  especially  on 
the  very  solemn  vows  of  ordination. 

To  which  of  the  canons,  to  which  of  the  promises  at  our  ordi- 
nation, can  reference  be  made  for  an  obligation  so  sacred?  It  is 
well  known  that  there  is,  in  the  English  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,  a  direction  from  which  it  might  be  deduced,  but  that 
direction  has  been,  with  evident  design,  omitted  in  ours  as  inap- 
plicable to  the  present  state  of  society,  and  as,  in  point  of 
fact,  obsolete  in  England.  The  only  possible  reason  which 
I  can  imagine  to  have  been  found  in  the  Prayer  Book,  is  the  use 
of  the  terms  'Daily  Morning  and  Evening  Prayer.'  Is  it  meant, 
then,  that  because  a  form  of  Daily  Service  is  provided,  there 
must  always  be  a  daily  service?  Why  would  it  not  be  as  fair  a 
conclusion,  that,  because  a  form  of  '  Solemnization  of  Matri- 
mony' is  provided,  every  member  of  the  Church  must  be 
married  ? 

For,  let  me  add,  the  causes  for  which  an  'implied  permis- 
sion of  the  Church  to  omit  the  Daily  Service  prescribed  by 
canon'  is  supposed,  are  not  such  as  will  be  admitted  by  a  con- 
scientious clergyman,  to  dispense  with  the  fulfilment  of  his  '  ordi- 
nation vows.'  Not  a  single  clergyman  in  health  will  probably 
hold  himself  to  be  under  an  inability  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  in 
the  church  every  day,  or  to  read  the  service  when  he  is  there. 
Most  of  our  parishes  could  furnish  a  'congregation,'  for  where 
two  or  three  are  gathered  together,  that  name  is  not  misapplied,  if 
the  occasion  be  really  fixed  by  a  regulation  of  the  Church.  It 
is  one  thing  to  say,  that,  under  such  circumstances,  it  would  be 
inexpedient  to  do  what  we  are  free  to  do  or  not  to  do,  at  our 
discretion.  It  is  quite  another  thing  to  say  that  we  are  under  a 
vow  to  do  it,  and  that  we  are  not  excused  from  performing  our 
vow. 

Suffer  me  then  to  ask,  Mr.  Editor,  whether,  having  in  view 
some  particular  case,  I  know  not  what,  you  have  not  here  stated 
a  rule  which  cannot  be  maintained ;  and  which  may  have  the 
effect  to  represent  the  clergy  as  taking  their  ordination  vows 
very  loosely  upon  them.  I  am  sure  that  the  editor  of  the 
Chronicle  is  one  of  the  last  men  to  wish  to  make  constructions 
of  daily  duty  from  rules,  actually  and  expressly  abrogated,  and 
fasten  them  to  vows  which  surely  have  received,  in  our  Church, 
no  such  interpretation." 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  151 

On  going  to  Gardiner,  he  found  the  service  poorly  attended  ; 
and,  at  times,  a  response  so  feeble  that  it  was  scarcely  audible. 
On  one  occasion,  when  the  Senior  Warden  and  his  family  were^ 
absent,  but  two  voices  were  distinctly  heard.  When  the  Bishop 
reached  the  Psalter,  he  paused  and  expressed  his  regret,  that  the 
absence  of  a  few  individuals  from  the  church  should  be  felt  in 
that,  way,  and  before  proceeding,  gave  an  earnest  exhortation, 
which  brought  forth  a  full  and  hearty  response.  The  idea  had 
taken  possession  of  many  minds,  that  it  was  hypocrisy  for  any 
but  decidedly  religious  persons  to  kneel  or  respond,  or  in  any 
way  join  in  the  service.  Against  this,  the  Bishop  earnestly  con- 
tended, often  renewing  the  theme,  giving  line  upon  line,  and  in 
the  Sunday-school,  adding  the  weight  of  his  authority.  Long 
years  before  he  was  taken  from  his  congregation,  he  had  the 
happiness  of  seeing  that  very  few  refrained  from  at  least  assum- 
ing a  posture  of  devotion;  and  in  the  Sunday-school,  no  child 
would  think  of  remaining  without  kneeling  during  the  prayers. 

How  careful  he  was  to  do  his  own  work,  without  seeking  need- 
less assistance,  is  shown  by  the  following  incident:  During  a 
walk  to  visit  the  sick,  on  a  severe  winter's  day,  he  fell  on  the 
ice  and  sprained  his  arm.  For  several  weeks  he  wore  his  arm 
in  a  sling,  and  was  unable,  without  assistance,  to  put  on  his  sur- 
plice, though  he  might  easily  have  excused  himself  from  the 
performance  of  public  services,  perhaps  too  from  attendance 
upon  them,  he  did  neither,  but  read  the  service  and  did  his  own 
preaching  through  the  whole,  although  there  were  several  clergy- 
men in  Trinity  College,  who  would  at  any  time  gladly  have 
rendered  him  any  assistance. 

After  his  removal  to  Gardiner,  when  the  duties  of  a  Bishop 
were  added  to  those  of  a  parish  priest,  it  might  have  been  antici- 
pated that  some  change  would  have  been  seen  in  his  habits;  not 
that  anything  would  be  neglected,  but  that  his  own  time  would 
be  given  to  the  general  care  of  the  Diocese,  and  the  Parish  com- 
mitted mainly  to  an  assistant  minister.  But  he  looked  upon  his 
pastoral  intercourse  with  his  people  as  a  rest  and  refreshment, 
and  was  unwilling  to  relinquish  it  to  another. 

His  visitations  were  made,  when  possible,  between  the  Sun- 
days, and  when  obliged  to  be  absent  on  the  Lord's  Day  from 


152  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

his  own  Church,  he  spared  neither  trouble  nor  expense  to  pro- 
vide a  substitute.  On  one  occasion,  when  he  was  in  New  York, 
in  July,  attending  to  Church  business,  he  found  that  the  meetings 
would  continue  into  the  next  week,  and  having  made  no  provision 
for  the  Sunday  services,  he  was  so  unwilling  to  leave  his  people 
to  lay  reading,  that  he  returned  home  on  Saturday,  reaching  Gar- 
diner late  at  night,  and  left  by  the  earliest  train  on  Monday  to 
return  to  New  York.  It  was  such  exertions  as  this  which  made 
his  parish  so  anxious  to  supply  him  with  an  assistant;  but  they 
were  soon  convinced  that  such  an  arrangement  would  not  lighten 
his  labors.  He  would  only  have  been  more  from  home,  supply- 
ing vacancies  in  the  Diocese,  and  working  quite  as  hard.  He 
might  have  resigned  the  parish  entirely,  but  there  were  many 
reasons  against  such  a  measure.  The  Diocese  was  too  poor  to 
offer  a  salary  more  than  sufficient  to  cover  his  travelling  expenses, 
and  at  that  time,  his  support  was  derived  almost  entirely  from 
his  salary  as  a  parish  minister.  The  number  of  parishes  was  too 
small  to  employ  him  many  Sundays  in  the  year,  for  he  said  no 
faithful  parish  minister  would  wish  to  relinquish  many  of  his  own 
services  even  to  his  Bishop,  and  he  wished  for  no  idle  Sundays 
for  himself.  It  may  be  said  that  he  might  have  become  the 
chief  missionary  in  the  Diocese ;  but  he  knew  that  there  was  a 
limit  to  even  such  labor.  As  long  as  a  Bishop  was  a  novelty,  he 
could  collect  good  congregations  almost  anywhere;  but  they 
were  largely  composed  of  those  who  came  from  curiosity,  and 
had  no  intention  of  withdrawing  from  their  connection  with  their 
own  denominations;  and  even  if  a  few  preferred  the  Church, 
they  were  not  often  ready  to  assume  the  burden  and  responsi- 
bility of  a  new  organization.  Added  to  these  objections,  there 
was  another  which  had  great  weight  with  him.  He  feared  that 
if  he  ceased  to  be  a  pastor,  he  would  soon  cease  to  sympathize 
as  he  ought  with  the  laborious  pastor,  who  looked  to  him  for 
advice. 

The  difficulty  which  he  found  in  reaching  the  men  of  his 
parish  was  a  great  trial  to  him.  Year  after  year  they  attended 
the  public  services  and  seemed  to  listen  with  interest  to  his  ex- 
hortations, but  they  did  not  come  to  Confirmation  and  the  Lord's 
Table.     He  felt  the  necessity  of  making  more  private  and  direct 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  153 

appeals  to  their  consciences,  but  it  was  difificult  to  find  the  oppor- 
tunity; if  he  called  at  their  homes,  he  was  told  that  they  were 
at  their  places  of  business;  if  he  went  to  their  offices  or  stores, 
he  found  them  surrounded  by  other  business  men,  and  saw  that 
it  was  no  time  for  private  conversation.  If  he  waited  until  they 
were  laid  on  beds  of  sickness,  he  knew  the  danger  that  their  minds 
would  then  be  too  much  enfeebled  by  illness  to  receive  instruc- 
tion. In  this  difficulty  he  prepared  the  following  letter,  and  sent 
it  to  every  male  member  of  his  parish  who  was  not  already  a 
Communicant : — 

•       Gardiner,  January  i,  1862. 

"My  Dear  Sir:  I  must  beg  you  to  excuse  me  for  adopting 
this  mode  of  address.  Opportunities  of  private  and  serious  con- 
versation with  men  engaged  in  business  are  not  numerous;  and 
such  conversation  is  somewhat  too  constrained  to  yield  the  desired 
profit.  I  wish  to  do  in  the  present  form  a  duty,  in  part,  which 
is  always  pressing  upon  my  conscience,  and  which,  in  many  in- 
stances, I  find  it  difficult  to  discharge  otherwise. 

You  have  never  publicly  declared  your  faith  in  Christ,  and 
your  solemn  purpose  to  live  in  obedience  to  His  commandments. 
I  have  no  reason  to  suppose  that  you  question  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel.  You  are,  I  presume,  either  satisfying  yourself  with 
some  view  of  it  which  allows  you  to  hope  for  safety  without  a 
religious  life,  or  at  least  without  a  religious  profession ;  or,  more 
probably,  your  attention  is  not  given  to  the  subject  with  any 
prolonged  seriousness. 

In  the  mean  time,  your  years  and  mine  are  wearing  away.  The 
space  within  which  our  work  on  earth  must  be  done,  is  now  a 
year  nearer  to  its  close ;  and  the  years  are  few.  For  the  greatest 
work  of  life,  the  time  is  now. 

All  your  experience  admonishes  you  to  leave  nothing  unneces- 
sarily exposed  to  danger  in  the  event  of  your  speedy  decease. 
You  make  the  best  provision  in  your  power  for  the  settlement  of 
your  affairs,  and  for  the  welfare  of  your  family,  whenever  you 
shall  be  removed;  and  as  you  advance  in  life,  the  necessity  for 
this  is  felt  to  be  the  more  urgent.  Have  you  made  such  pro- 
vision for  your  highest  interest?  Or,  is  there  a  great  work  to  be 
done  within  you,  before  you  can  expect  to  die  '  in  the  confidence 
of  a  certain  faith,  and  in  the  comfort  of  a  reasonable,  religious, 
and  holy  hope?' 

You  need,  my  dear  friend,  to  be  not  only  almost,  but  altogether 
a  Christian,  in  belief,  spirit,  and  life.  In  that  relation  in  which 
I  stand  towards  you,  let  me  beseech  you  to  give  your  earnest 


154  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

attention  to  the  following  plain  statements,  resisting  every  tempta- 
tion to  neglect  or  postpone  the  subject. 

You  are  called  by  the  Gospel  to  repentance,  faith,  and  every 
duty  of  religion. 

You  have  no  claim  on  the  promises  of  our  Saviour,  unless  you 
believe  in  Him,  and  show  your  faith  by  endeavoring  to  keep  His 
commandments. 

You  must  confess  Christ  before  men,  if  you  hope  that  He  will 
confess  you  hereafter. 

You  must  be  judged  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  this  life. 

If  there  be  any  truth  in  the  Gospel,  any  necessity  of  serving 
God,  any  cause  to  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  any  obligation  to 
diligence  in  working  out  your  salvation,  any  value  in  religious 
example,  activity,  and  faithftilness,  you  have  already  delayed 
this  great  business  too  long. 

God  knows  the  secret  habits  of  your  mind  ;  and  I  would  gladly 
hope  that  you  look  up  to  Him  with  reverence  and  godly  fear. 
But  suffer  me  to  plead  with  you,  in  His  name,  and  for  the  sake 
of  your  own  soul,  and  with  all  the  earnestness  which  belongs  to 
my  sacred  office,  that  you  will  not  let  this  year  begin  without 
forming,  nor  pass  without  carrying  into  effect,  each  of  the  follow- 
ing purposes:  — 

1.  That  you  will  daily  give  some  time  to  private  prayer. 

2.  That  you  will  not  be  absent,  without  necessity,  from  public 
worship. 

3.  That  you  will,  if  at  the  head  of  a  family,  hold  family  prayer. 

4.  That  you  will  seriously  examine  your  heart  and  life,  as  if 
you  were  soon  to  give  up  your  account ;  and  ask  for  true  repent- 
ance. 

5.  That  you  will  resolutely  turn  from  every  practice  which  is 
condemned  by  God  and  your  conscience. 

6.  That  you  will  in  secret,  trusting  in  the  merits  of  our  Re- 
deemer and  depending  on  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  offer 
yourself  to  the  service  of  God  for  the  rest  of  your  days. 

7.  That,  if  not  yet  baptized,  you  will  receive  baptism. 

8.  That  you  will  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper. 

9.  That  you  will  be  ready  to  do  good,  in  all  ways  which  Provi- 
dence shall  open. 

10.  That  you  will  steadfastly  devote  some  fit  portion  of  your 
gains  or  income  to  works  of  mercy,  charity,  and  religion. 

11.  That  you  will  endeavor  to  bring  others  to  the  same  blessed 
'service,  which  is  perfect  freedom.' 

It  will  give  me  the  utmost  satisfaction  to  converse  with  you  on 
any  portion  of  these  subjects  on  which  you  may  feel  doubt,  or 
desire  information  or  counsel. 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  155 

And  may  God  bless  this  effort  which  I  have  now  made,  as  His 
servant  and  pastor  !     Believe  me  always 

Affectionately  yours, 

George  Burgess." 

Turning  now  from  the  public  ministrations  of  the  Bishop  to 
those  of  a  more  private  character,  we  must  allow  his  former 
parishioners,  both  in  Hartford  and  Gardiner,  to  give  their  testi- 
mony. Many  of  these  bear  witness  to  his  exceeding  gentleness 
and  forbearance  in  dealing  with  the  wayward;  to  his  deep 
sympathy  with  them  in  their  weaknesses  and  griefs;  and  to  the 
encouraging  words  with  which  he  strengthened  them  when  they 
faltered  and,  perhaps,  fell,  in  their  Christian  course.  "I  wish," 
said  one,  "that  I  could  tell  you  all  that  he  did  for  me,  but  I 
cannot  without  betraying  my  own  folly  and  waywardness." 

Another,  in  Hartford,  writes: — 

"The  first  time  I  heard  Mr.  Burgess  preach  was  before  he 
was  made  our  Rector,  and,  although  I  cannot  now  recall  the 
subject,  I  remember  that  it  made  a  very  deep  impression  on  me 
at  the  time,  as  it  did  upon  many  others.  He  came  to  visit  us 
for  the  first  time  when  we  were  in  great  sorrow  over  the  loss  of 
our  only  child.  In  his  sweet  and  touching  manner,  he  repeated 
to  us  words  of  comfort  from  Holy  Writ,  and  when  he  afterwards 
committed  her  body  to  the  grave,  he  told  me  that  it  was  the  first 
time  he  ever  read  the  Burial  Service.     *     *     *     * 

"  He  gave  every  one  the  impression  of  a  man  of  God.  So  en- 
tirely devoted  was  he  to  his  office,  visiting  the  sick  and  the  afflicted, 
always  ready,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  but  in  these  duties, 
never  neglecting  his  preparation  for  the  pulpit.  He  preached 
more  constantly  than  any  clergyman  I  ever  knew,  not  even  giv- 
ing himself  that  time  for  relaxation,  which  is  now  deemed  so 
necessary.  He  must  have  been  most  systematic  in  his  habits, 
for  with  all  these  labors,  he  never  seemed  to  be  in  a  hurry. 
This  seemed  to  me  one  of  his  marked  characteristics.  What- 
ever unexpected  duty  was  to  be  performed,  he  was  always  ready, 
and  had  time  to  do  it;  nothing  ever  seemed  to  be  neglected  or 
forgotten.     *     *     *     * 

"He  once  told  me  that  personal  conversation  on  religious 
subjects,  had  been  one  of  the  most  difficult  duties  for  him  to 
perform,  and  in  no  one,  had  he  so  failed.  In  preparing  a  class 
for  confirmation,  he  once  spoke  of  the  difficulty  of  reaching  the 
real  feelings  of  those  with  whom  he  conversed,  and  the  danger 
of  being  deceived  by  them,  but  he  said,  '  I  try  to  think  of  my 


156  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Saviour  having  to  do  with  all  kinds  of  men,  and  the  patience 
with  which  He  met  them.'  " 


)  > ) 


Another,  after  using  the  expression,  "that  almost  faultless 
character,  "writes : — 

"Could  all  my  intercourse  with  that  dear  friend  be  told,  it  would 
indeed  throw  light  on  his  large  heart,  and  show  with  what  rare 
discretion  and  charity  he  guided  a  wayward  spirit." 

One  expresses  her  love  in  a  letter  from  which  the  following 
extracts  are  made : — 

"My  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Burgess  was  made  during  his 
rectorship  of  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  and  well  do  I  remember 
the  solemn  service  which  inducted  him  into  that  sacred  office. 
His  very  youthful  appearance  at  that  time,  together  with  a  look 
of  such  rapt  devotion  as  almost  made  his  face  to  shine,  rendered 
it  a  scene  of  very  touching  interest.  I  had  but  slight  per- 
sonal acquaintance  with  Mr.  Burgess  until  a  great  sorrow  fell 
upon  my  household,  and  then  he  came  with  his  great,  kind  heart 
to  counsel,  to  pity,  and  to  relieve.  He  found  many  ways  of  as- 
sisting me  in  my  perplexities  and  more  than  once  left  in  my  hand 
a  substantial  evidence  of  his  interest  in  our  unfortunate  family, 
and  later,  during  a  very  severe  illness  of  my  two  little  daughters, 
neither  now  among  the  living,  he  showed  the  kindness  of  a  brother. 
Once,  I  remember,  he  found  me  very  weary  with  long  watching ; 
and  he  urged  me  to  seek  some  rest,  kindly  offering  himself,  young 
gentleman  as  he  was,  to  take  my  place  beside  the  little  sufferers. ' ' 

To  another  we  are  indebted  for  the  following  communication 
from  Hartford : — 

"  I  have  understood  that  it  is  difficult  to  gather  particulars 
as  to  the  first  years  of  his  ministry  here.  The  truth  is  that  he 
was  not  a  man  to  strike  out  new  courses,  when  the  old  did 
not  need  change  ;  he  went  on  quietly,  and  the  result  of  those 
first  years  was  St.  John's  Church.  When  he  came,  in  1834, 
Christ  Church  was  large  enough  for  its  congregation.  Without 
unusual  measures  or  new  arrangements  (though  I  think  that  he 
established  the  Wednesday  Evening  Lectures  and  Sunday  School 
Teachers'  Meetings),  he  ministered,  asthesun  ministers,  toa  steady 
increase  and  growth.  His  preaching  and  living  set  forth  the 
true  and  lively  word,  and  he  did  rightly  and  duly  administer  the 
holy  sacraments.  In  this  city,  Congregationalists  especially,  and 
other  denominations,  had  always  disliked  the  Church,  and  opposed 
it,  but  they  honored,  respected,  and  loved  him,  and  many  came 
and  joined  the  Church  where  he  ministered. 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  157 

In  referring  to  Mr.  Burgess'  influence  outside  of  the  Church, 
I  do  not  intend  any  contrast  with  his  predecessors,  faithful  men, 
who  brought  many  into  our  communion,  but  he  was  especially 
liked  by  all.  The  impression  which  he  made  on  all  classes  was 
of  humility,  gentleness,  and  heavenly  mindedness. 

So  his  flock  became  too  large  for  its  accommodations,  and  a 
new  church  was  needed.  No  quarrel  or  controversy  on  any 
subject  was  the  occasion,  as  often  happens,  of  a  division  and  a 
new  church.  Many  left  by  his  request  their  home  in  Christ 
Church,  to  help  build  up  the  new  parish.  The  story  of  his  first 
years  in  Hartford  is  also  the  story  of  the  beginning  and  estab- 
lishment of  St.  John's  Church,  which  was  the  consequence  of  his 
quiet,  unintermitted  labors.  St.  John's  Church  was  consecrated 
seven  years  after  he  came  here." 

"I  have  heard  that  Dr.  Hawes  used  to  say  that  wherever  he 
went  among  the  poor,  he  found  Mr.  Burgess'  footsteps." 

"  Who  is  the  best  pastor  in  Hartford?"  was  once  asked  by  a 
stranger.  The  answer  came  from  Rev.  Dr.  Hawes,  for  many 
years  over  the  First  Congregational  Parish  in  Hartford,  and  it 
was  prompt  and  decisive:  "The  Rev.  George  Burgess  of  the 
Episcopal  Church;  he  is  better  than  myself  or  any  other." 

A  description  of  one  to  whom  he  would  never  have  ventured 
to  compare  himself,  applies  so  truly  to  him,  that  I  cannot  for- 
bear using  the  same  words. 

"He  manifested  a  gentle,  loving,  forbearing  temper,  show- 
ing tender  consideration  for  others,  and  generous  pity  for  their 
temporal  and  spiritual  wants.  It  would  be  little  to  say  of  him 
that  he  reviled  no  man  ;  that  he  wronged  no  man  ;  that  he 
oppressed  no  man  ;  nay,  that  he  preserved  a  conscience  void 
of  offence  ;  or  even  that  he  adhered  strictly  to  the  laws  of  truth 
and  justice,  integrity  and  faithfulness  in  the  whole  of  his  con- 
versation and  deportment.  He  was  far  more  than  all  this. 
He  had  learned  of  his  Divine  Master  lessons  of  meekness  and 
forbearance,  gentleness  and  kindness  ;  and  had  imbibed  much 
of  His  lowly  and  lovely  spirit.  In  one  word,  he  had  '  put  on 
Christ,'  and  in  putting  Him  on  had  'crucified  the  flesh  with  its 
affections  and  lusts,'  its  natural  tendencies  and  impulses,  and 
stood  forth  complete  in  Him,  a  new  creature,  a  far  better,  and 
nobler,  and  more  loving  creature.  He  encouraged  in  young 
converts  every  opening  promise  of  goodness.  He  carefully  cul- 
tivated every  favorable  symptom.  He  was  'gentle  among  them, 
as  a  nurse  cherisheth  her  children.'  He  did  not  expect  every- 
thing at  once;  he  did  not  exact  that  a  beginner  in  the  ways  of 
religion  should  start  into  instantaneous  perfection.  He  did  not 
think  all  was  lost  if  an  error  was  committed  ;  he  did  not  abandon 


IS8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

all  hope  if  some  less  happy  converts  were  slow  in  their  progress. 
He  protected  their  budding  graces ;  he  fenced  his  young  plants 
till  they  had  time  to  take  root.  If  he  rejoiced  that  the  hardy  were 
more  flourishing,  he  was  glad  that  the  less  vigorous  were  never- 
theless alive. 

Being  familiar  with  the  infirmities  of  our  common  nature,  he 
could  allow  for  doubt  and  distrust,  misapprehension  and  error; 
he  expected  inconsistency  and  was  not  deterred  by  perverseness  ; 
he  bore  with  failure  where  it  was  not  sinful,  and  reproved  obdu- 
racy without  being  disappointed  at  meeting  with  it.  .  In  his  most 
severe  animadversions,  he  did  not  speak  of  any  with  hopeless 
harshness.  He  seldom  treated  the  bad  as  irreclaimable,  but 
generally  contrived  to  leave  them  some  degree  of  credit.  He 
seemed  to  feel  that  by  stripping  erring  men  of  every  vestige  of 
character,  he  should  strip  them  also  of  every  glimmering  of 
hope,  of  every  incitement  to  reformation." 

In  illustration  of  this  trait,  an  instance  may  be  given.  An 
effort  was  made  to  promote  congregational  singing,  and  a  teacher 
engaged  to  meet  the  congregation  on  one  or  two  evenings  in  the 
week  in  the  lecture-room,  and  practise  with  them  sacred  music. 
After  a  few  of  these  meetings  had  been  disturbed  by  some 
restless  boys,  who  went  to  play  rather  than  to  sing,  a  prominent 
gentleman  of  the  parish  undertook  to  wait  on  their  parents  and 
request  that  they  should  be  forbidden  to  attend.  While  on  his 
round  of  visits,  he  encountered  the  Bishop  and  explained  the 
matter  to  him.  The  Bishop  at  once  begged  him  to  withdraw  the 
prohibition  and  have  patience  with  them,  saying  that  there  was 
no  surer  way  to  ruin  boys  than  to  tell  them  that  they  were  too 
bad  for  steady  society.  The  boys  were  not  slow  in  learning  the 
whole  story,  and  one  of  them,  in  repeating  it  at  home,  added, 
"  The  Bishop  thinks  there  may  be  some  good  in  us  yet." 

To  an  intimate  friend  and  former  parishioner  application  was 
made  for  some  recollections  of  the  Bishop  as  a  pastor,  while  in 
Hartford.  Though  on  a  sick  bed,  she  made  the  attempt  to  com- 
ply with  the  request,  but  was  checked  by  increasing  illness.  Her 
rough  notes  were  copied  and  sent  by  her  family.  Unfinished  as 
they  are,  they  show  such  a  beautiful  appreciation  of  the  Bishop 
as  a  friend  and  pastor,  that  they  are  gratefully  used  without 
alteration. 

"I  agree  with  you  in  thinking  it  desirable  to  obtain  different 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  159 

views  of  a  character  so  perfectly  rounded  and  harmoniously 
developed,  as  hardly  to  be  fully  appreciated  by  anyone  individual. 
To  me  he  is  not  merely  the  wise  and  farseeing  Bishop,  nor  the 
man  of  rare  information  and  indefatigable  patience,,  nor  yet  one 
from  whom  my  love  for  the  beautiful  met  full  sympathy.  To  me 
he  comes  in  perpetual  youth,  a  model  which  St.  Paul  might  well 
have  had  in  view  when  he  wrote  to  Titus,  '  young  men  also  ex- 
hort to  be  sober  minded.'  Can  any  of  the  congregation  to 
whom  he  ministered  in  youthful  dignity,  ever  forget  the  discre- 
tion, the  humility,  the  meekness  with  which  he  fulfilled  his  pasto- 
ral duties  !  I  never  could  judge  what  he  was  as  a  preacher  ;  ser- 
mons flowed  so  gently  yet  so  earnestly  from  the  tongue,  ever 
dropping  well  chosen  words  of  sympathy  and  comfort. 

How  the  members  of  his  parish  looked  forward  to  those  social 
visits,  as  once  in  every  three  months  he  went  the  rounds  of 
his  parish,  not  professedly  for  religious  intercourse,  but  making 
one  feel  by  the  purity  of  his  character  that  in  his  presence 
conversation  must  drop  all  frivolity  !  And  yet  how  humbly 
on  public  occasions  he  would  glide  into  a  church  and  seat 
himself  near  the  door,  till  some  one  drew  him  to  the  place  of 
honor  beside  his  compeers,  making  me  always  think  of  the 
promise  of  our  Lord  that  to  him  who  sat  down  in  the  lowest 
room,  it  should  be  said,  'Friend,  go  up  higher.'  Notwith- 
standing his  own  social  advantages,  he  never  seemed  to  have 
anything  like  respect  of  persons,  and  I  do  not  think  that  the 
humblest  of  his  parishioners  ever  felt  that  he  was  aware  of  any 
difference  between  them  and  those  of  the  most  exalted  rank. 

How  glad  I  was  to  see  that  he  kept  that  beautiful  humility 
when  raised  to  the  Episcopal  office. 

When  I  last  saw  him  administering  the  communion  in  a  sick 
room,  the  perfect  simplicity  with  which  he  performed  the  service 
and  the  tender  familiarity  of  the  preceding  remarks,  gave  me 
more  an  idea  of  the  Last  Supper  of  our  Lord  than  any  sacra- 
ment I  have  ever  witnessed.  To  those  who  partook  of  that 
blessed  feast,  it  was  a  last  supper,  and  the  brief,  clear  state- 
ment of  our  reasons  for  believing  that  we  should  recognize  each 
other  in  another  world,  fell  like  oil  on  our  troubled  hearts. 

Such  scenes  linger  in  the  memories  of  all  who  loved  him,  but 
they  cannot  be  told  to  the  world  who  knew  him  not.  To  know 
what  he  was  as  a  pastor,  it  would  be  necessary  to  be  acquainted 
with  the  circumstances  which  brought  to  light  all  those  peculiar 
virtues  which  his  rare  modesty  and  inborn  reticence  hid  from  view. 
In  all  the  most  painful  and  delicate  circumstances,  his  counsel 
and  sympathy  were  eagerly  sought,  and  this  very  intimacy  of  in- 
tercourse with  his  parishioners  makes  it  difficult  to  bring  out  what 
he  was  in  the  pastoral  relation. 


l6o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

There  was  only  one  thing  of  which  his  people  did  not  dare  to 
speak  to  him,  and  that  was  the  failings  of  their  fellow  men,  for  to 
these  he  seemed  ever  blind.  It  was  only  when  hearing  his  clear 
expositions  of  what  men  ought  to  be,  that  one  learned  that  he 
did  not  think  all  around  him  faultless.  To  one  who  was  dilating 
on  the  faults  of  a  young  impulsive  member  of  his  congregation, 
he  said,  '  So  she  did  wrong;  well,  then,  she  was  sorry  for  it;  she 
always  is  for  all  her  shortcomings;'  thus  effectually  ending  the 
conversation. 

When  his  own  church  overflowed,  the  difficulty  was  not  met 
by  raising  the  price  of  seats  and  forcing  those  who  could  not 
buy  them  to  leave  the  parish ;  but  some  of  his  leading  men  were 
prompted  by  him  to  form  another  parish.  'The  Scripture  tells 
us,'  he  said,  'that  the  poor  have  the  Gospel  preached  to  them, 
and  I  do  not  wish  to  preach  to  the  rich  only ;  I  should  not  feel 
that  I  was  preaching  to  a  true  branch  of  the  Church  of  Christ  if 
the  poor  were  not  fully  represented.' 

His  success  in  winning  souls  to  Christ  was  remarkable,  but 
attained  by  an  unusual  method ;  his  sermons  were  mostly  ad- 
dressed to  Christians,  and,  by  showing  what  they  ought  to  be, 
he  won  those  without  the  fold  to  its  sacred  precincts. 

I  never  saw  any  one  sceptical  enough  to  doubt  the  reality  of  a 
piety  which  so  scrupulously  fulfilled  every  duty  of  a  man  and  a 
citizen. 

He  stood  one  morning  in  autumn  by  one  dying  of  delirium 
tremens,  and,  as  he  looked  from  the  flushed  face,  soon  to  wear 
the  paleness  of  death,  to  the  crimson  foliage  without,  he  mur- 
mured, in  a  broken  voice,  'we  all  do  fade  as  a  leaf;  our  iniqui- 
ties, like  the  wind,  bear  us  away.' 

Those  present  with  him  at  such  times  saw  the  solemn  tender- 
ness with  which  he  ministered  to  the  dying;  but  only  the  heart- 
broken penitent  could  know  how  like  dew  the  sweet  promises  of 
pardon  fell  from  lips  ever  tremulous,  at  such  times,  with  deep 
feeling. 

His  own  charities,  like  his  other  ministrations,  were  so  unob- 
trusive, that  his  benefactions  were 

'Only  by  riclier  greenness  seen.' 

He  hardly  thought  of  almsgiving  as  a  duty  of  Christians,  but 
only  as  a  natural  and  pleasant  manifestation  of  that  love  which 
he  sought  to  fertilize  in  all  hearts.  After  some  labored  appeal 
from  others,  how  simply  he  Avould  step  forward  and  say,  '  I 
know  that  this  true  case  of  need  has  only  to  be  placed  before 
you  to  call  forth  your  liberal  aid.' 

As  an  instance  of  his  whole-hearted  kindness,  I  remember 
that  a  stranger  going  to  Virginia  asked  him  if  he  knew  any  cler- 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  l6i 

gyman  to  whom  he  could  give  her  a  letter  ?  The  answer  was  a 
pile  of  letters  to  every  clergyman  he  knew  in  the  Diocese,  each 
kinder  than  the  other." 

The  next  communication  comes  from  a  parishioner  in  Gardi- 
ner : — 

*'  Many  of  the  Bishop's  parishioners  in  Gardiner  felt,  after  he 
had  been  settled  there  a  few  years,  that  his  time  and  strength 
were  too  heavily  taxed  by  having  the  sole  charge  of  a  large  par- 
ish, in  addition  to  his  diocesan  duties.  After  he  had  long  borne 
this  double  strain,  the  members  of  the  Parish  Sewing  Circle, 
with  great  unanimity  and  interest,  proposed  to  raise  a  sufficient 
sum  by  their  efforts,  to  defray  the  salary  of  an  assistant.  This 
purpose  was  not  mentioned  to  the  Bishop  till  the  necessary 
amount  for  one  year  had  been  secured.  When  it  was  communi- 
cated to  him,  he  was  much  touched  by  the  proof  of  interest 
thus  given,  but  declined  appropriating  the  funds  to  the' proposed 
purpose,  and  so  decidedly  that  it  was  felt  to  be  useless  to  urge  it 
further.  The  reasons  given  were,  that  he  did  not  feel  that  he 
had  more  work  than  was  good  for  him ;  that  he  considered  it 
important  to  the  spiritual  well-being  of  a  bishop  to  have  the 
care  of  souls,  and  be  brought  into  intimate  contact  with  the 
experiences  and  sorrows  of  his  people;  and,  above  all,  that 
when  there  were  so  many  outlying  places  in  the  Diocese  in  need 
of  clergymen,  whose  wants  he  found  it  so  difficult  to  supply,  he 
should  not  consider  it  right  to  appropriate  another  to  Gardiner. 

Perhaps  had  his  cares  been  confined  exclusively  to  his  own 
flock,  the  labor  might  not  have  been  too  much  for  his  strength  ; 
but  he  was  emphatically  a  missionary  to  the  poor,  and  nothing 
was  more  remarkable  than  the  manner  in  which  he  was  sent  for 
to  attend  the  dying  beds  and  read  the  funeral  service  over  the 
graves  of  many,  who  had  never  been  in  the  habit  of  attending 
public  worship  in  any  form  or  had  testified  respect  for  religion 
in  their  lives.  It  seemed  to  be  felt  that  the  prayers  of  the  Bishop 
and  his  administration  of  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism  had  a  pecu- 
liar unction  ;  and  as  it  soon  became  known  that  he  never  refused 
a  request  to  attend  a  dying  bed  or  a  distant  funeral,  the  demands 
became  very  frequent.  Sometimes  the  time  appointed  for  the 
latter  would  occur  between  the  morning  and  afternoon  service, 
and  at  a  distance  of  six  or  eight  miles,  leaving  no  moment 
for  rest  between;  and,  as  these  calls  were  frequently  made  by 
persons  not  belonging  to  the  Church,  and  often  quite  ignorant 
of  much  that,  as  our  Prayer  Book  expresses  it,  '  a  Christian  ought 
to  know  and  believe  to  his  soul's  health,'  the  Bishop  generally 
made  a  short  exhortation  at  the  grave,  solemn,  but  full  of  sym- 
pathy as  well  as  instruction. 


l62  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

More  than  once  he  has  been  alone  by  the  bedside  when  the 
spirit  took  its  flight  from  the  abode  of  poverty  and  wretchedness. 
On  one  occasion  he  was  called  to  baptize  a  dying  infant  in  a  poor 
family,  who  had  lately  moved  into  the  place  ;  one  of  those  whose 
wandering  habits  seldom  let  them  remain  long  enough  in  any 
town  to  obtain  a  'residence.'  He  visited  the  parents  daily  till 
the  child  died,  and  then  followed  the  little  coffin  on  foot,  in  a 
driving  snow-storm,  through  a  road  so  blocked  with  snow  as  to 
forbid  the  use  of  a  vehicle,  with  the  father  and  sexton  alone,  to 
the  burying-ground  of  the  poor,  a  mile  and  a  half  out  of  town, 
and  read  the  service  over  its  grave.  He  could  not  bear,  he  said, 
that  one  of  Christ's  little  ones  should  be  laid  in  an  unhonored 
grave. 

All  these  ministrations  were  so  quietly  and  unobtrusively  per- 
formed that  it  was  only  by  degrees  that  it  began  to  be  realized 
how  deep  was  the  reverence  felt  for  the  Bishop,  and  how  wide- 
spread his  influence  had  become  throughout  the  State,  far  beyond 
the  pale  of  his  own  Church.  Once  and  forever  was  thus  put  to 
flight  in  Maine  that  ignorant  and  unreasoning  prejudice,  formerly 
so  prevalent  in  New  England,  that  the  Episcopal  Church  is  an 
aristocratic  one,  unsuited  to  the  needs  of  the  poor  and  the  un- 
educated. 

He  was  remarkably  insensible  to  personal  inconvenience  or 
discomfort.  When  any  parochial  duty  was  in  question,  he 
seemed  simply  to  ignore  cold  or  heat,  storm  or  fatigue,  and  all 
was  done  with  the  same  calm,  quiet,  straightforward  manner  that 
belonged  to  all  the  acts  of  his  daily  life ;  so  that  his  smiling  look 
of  surprise  when  remonstrated  with  at  the  exposure  and  fatigue 
he  often  encountered,  for  a  moment  reacted  on  his  friends,  and 
half  persuaded  them  that  there  really  was  no  exertion  made 
more  than  taking  a  short  walk  on  a  pleasant  day. 

He  had  a  peculiar  aversion  to  a  young  clergyman's  '  making 
a  fuss'  over  anything  he  did,  or  enacting  the  martyr  over  small 
trials  or  efforts,  and  his  example  had  a  wonderfully  bracing 
effect  in  establishing  a  tone  of  manly  simplicity  in  his  younger 
brethren. 

In  dangerous  cases  of  illness,  he  seldom  omitted  a  daily  visit, 
even  when  the  distance  was  considerable  and  thfe  weather  severe, 
always  walking  when  within  a  few  miles. 

He  once  said,  in  answer  to  a  remark  of  one  of  his  parishioners, 
that  so  constant  an  attendance  on  the  sick  poor  must  wear  greatly 
upon  him,  with  one  of  his  bright  peculiar  smiles,  '  Oh,  no  ! 
that  is  the  most  sustaining  and  invigorating  occupation  I  have. 
In  such  scenes  one  is  raised  above  the  common  cares  and  thoughts 
of  this  life,  and  brought  near  the  borders  of  the  unseen  world. 
What  really  wear  upon  me  are  the  common  duties  and  claims  of 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AS  A  PARISH  PRIEST.  163 

social  life.'      Any  one  who  knew  the  Bishop  well  must  have  felt 
the  absolute  truth  of  this  remark. 

A  very  striking  characteristic  of  Bishop  Burgess  was  his  feeling 
and  bearing  towards  the  poor.  No  Christian  minister  of  so 
much  earnestness  and  single-hearted  devotion  to  the  Master's 
service,  could  be  otherwise  than  kind  and  compassionate  to 
those  in  need.  But  with  him  the  poor  were  a  sacred  class,  hon- 
ored, and,  as  it  were,  consecrated  by  the  Saviour's  choice  of  their 
position  over  all  others  in  this  multitudinous  world,  for  the  period 
of  His  mortal  life  and  the  scene  in  which  should  be  wrought  out 
the  salvation  of  the  human  race.  The  Bishop's  manners  were 
always  courteous  to  the  poor,  eminently  so.  With  kind,  char- 
itable persons  there  is  often  a  condescension  in  their  bearing  to- 
wards the  poor,  which  must  jar  upon  honest  self-respect  where  it 
exists,  and  add  to  a  feeling  of  degradation  which  is  already  a 
barrier  to  exertion  and  improvement.  The  Bishop's  manner 
towards  them  spoke  of  respectful  sympathy.  In  the  spiritual 
world  he  seemed  to  feel  their  position  to  be  almost  above  his 
own,  and  that  it  was  an  honor  to  minister  to  their  necessities 
of  mind  or  body.  From  this  arose,  I  believe,  the  unbounded 
veneration  felt  for  him  by  all  classes  throughout  his  Diocese, 
where  the  poor  abound  far  more  than  the  rich.  But  all,  of  what- 
ever station,  recognized  in  him  a  man  singularly  near  his  Divine 
Master  in  spirit,  and  as  one  enabled  to  look  at  the  human  beings 
around  him,  habitually  in  all  the  daily  intercourse  of  life,  as  the 
heirs  of  immortality  and  divested  of  the  temporary  distinctions 
which  belong  to  their  earthly  life.  And  yet  there  was  nothing 
whatever  of  radicalism  or  levelling  in  his  thoughts.  He  truly 
honored  all  men,  but  if  there  were  degrees  in  this  sentiment,  the 
balance  turned  in  favor  of  the  poor.' 

To  these  full  descriptions  of  the  Bishop's  pastoral  life,  a  few 
items  may  be  added  from  other  sources. 

He  has  been  aroused  in  the  middle  of  a  winter  night  by  a 
request  from  entire  strangers,  to  go  with  them  to  a  distant  part 
of  the  town  to  see  a  poor  woman  who  was  dying  of  diphtheria, 
and  has  gone  Avithout  hesitation.  This  sick  stranger  had  moved 
into  the  town  but  a  few  days  before,  and  when  she  felt  the  need 
of  a  clergyman,  her  neighbors  had,  almost  as  a  matter  of  course, 
directed  her  to  the  Bishop. 

His  general  plan  was  to  spend  the  morning  and  evening  in  his 
study,  and  the  afternoon  in  parochial  visits.  The  very  ill  he 
visited  every  day,  in  extreme  cases  going  at  any  hour  which  was 
found  to  be  most  for  their  convenience. 


1 64  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

He  never  spared  his  steps  in  making  his  parochial  calls,  but 
would  go  to  different  and  distant  parts  of  his  Parish  on  the  same 
day.  When  it  was  suggested  to  him  that  he  might  economize 
his  steps,  taking  one  neighborhood  at  a  time,  he  said  that  people 
did  not  value  visits  that  were  so  evidently  made  according  to 
rule  \  but  that  they  were  gratified  if  they  thought  that  the  walk 
Avas  taken  expressly  to  see  them. 

In  conversation  once  with  a  clergyman  who  had  charge  of  a 
mission  parish  and  who  spoke  of  the  moving  and  changeable 
character  of  those  under  his  care,  the  Bishop  remarked,  "Your 
mission  thus  extends  its  influence  to  a  larger  number  of  persons, 
and  those  the  very  persons  who  need  such  influence,  than  can  be 
estimated.     Bless  God  you  are  in  such  work." 

An  extract  from  an  article  by  the  Rev.  Wm.  S.  Bartlett,  of 
Mass.,  may  form  a  fitting  conclusion  of  this  section. 

''It  is  related  that  during  one  of  the  wars  in  Europe  a  learned 
man  was  wounded,  carried  away  prisoner,  and  placed  in  a  rude 
hospital,  with  many  others  of  the  conquered.  Poverty  and  sick- 
ness made  him  appear  like  the  rest  of  the  squalid  company  who 
were  huddled  together  in  that  ill-provided  receptacle.  Some 
surgeons  stopped  at  his  bedside.  One  of  them  remarked  to 
his  companions:  'Fiat  experimentum  in  corpore  vili!'  The 
wretched  sufferer  exclaimed  in  the  same  language,  '  Call  not  that 
body  vile  for  which  Christ  died  !'  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say 
that  this  evidence  of  culture  rescued  the  patient  from  the  fate 
which  seemed  to  await  him,  and  that  he  was  placed  in  a  situation 
of  greater  comfort.  It  was  enough  for  Bishop  Burgess  that  a 
person  bore  our  common  humanity  to  excite  his  interest,  and  to 
receive  from  him,  if  needed,  his  counsel  and  charity.  And  it 
was  for  the  same  reason  that  the  patient  of  whom  I  have  spoken 
gave  :  'Nobody  was  to  be  esteemed  vile  for  whom  Christ  died  !' 
It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  Bishop's  unwearied  attention  to 
persons  who  were  reduced  to  poverty,  some,  perhaps,  who  had 
outlived  their  relatives  and  friends,  and  some  even  who  were 
degraded  by  their  vices,  attention  rendered  not  unfrequentlyatthe 
cost  of  much  fatigue  and  exposure  to  the  weather,  and  sometimes 
involving  much  wear  and  tear  of  feeling,  had  no  small  share  in 
breaking  up  what  was  originally  a  strong  constitution." 


LETTERS.  165 

XXVI. 

LETTERS. 

The  Bishop  never  failed  in  active  watchfulness  over  the  younger 
members  of  his  kindred,  and  especially  when  the  relation  of 
sponsor  or  of  guardian  existed. 

The  three  following  are  addressed  to  two,  servants  of  the  Lord 
in  their  youth,  and  in  the  same  youth  called  to  his  eternal  service. 

Gardiner,  April  loth,  1851. 

"My  dear  George:  I  am  very  grateful  to  God  that  you  are  so 
much  interested  in  the  duty  of  receiving  confirmation  as  to  write 
to  me  on  the  subject.  And  I  will  endeavor  to  give  you  the  best 
counsel  which  is  in  my  power,  desiring  you,  however,  always  to 
remember  that  no  friend,  however  dear  or  however  respected, 
can  come  between  you  and  your  Lord.  You  must  look  up  to 
God  for  wisdom  and  grace  to  see  clearly  your  duty  and  to  per- 
form it ;  and  if  you  can  truly  offer,  from  an  humble,  single  heart, 
the  prayer  contained  in  the  last  two  verses  of  the  cxxxix.  Psalm, 
you  may  trust  that  you  are  in  the  path  of  safety. 

The  idea  which  you  express  of  the  nature  of  confirmation  is 
entirely  correct.  It  is,  indeed,  on  the  part  of  him  who  receives 
it,  the  act  of  assuming  as  his  own  the  engagements  into  which  his 
sponsors  entered  in  his  behalf,  and  declaring  his  strong  desire 
that  the  Lord  should  be  his  God.  Much  is  contained,  however, 
in  this  definition  ;  but  if  you  will  carefully  consider  the  questions 
and  answers  in  the  baptismal  service,  the  reply  in  the  Catechism 
to  the  question,  'what  is  required  of  persons  to  be  baptized,' 
and  the  last  answer  in  the  Catechism,  you  will  have  the  best 
view  of  the  preparation  for  confirmation.  For  it  is  the  same  with 
the  preparation  for  baptism ;  and  if  you  would  be  ready  to  receive 
baptism,  supposing  that  you  had  not  been  baptized  in  infancy, 
you  are  ready  to  be  confirmed.  It  is  the  same  also  with  the 
preparation  for  the  Lord's  Supper;  because  any  one  who  has 
been  confirmed  is  free  to  come  to  the  Lord's  table.  You  see, 
then,  that  in  all  these  places  the  preparation  is  described  as 
repentance,  through  which  sin  is  forsaken,  and  temptation  re- 
nounced ;  and  faith  in  the  mercy  of  God  through  the  merits  and 
death  of  our  blessed  Saviour,  which  wherever  it  is  real  and  ear- 
nest, embraces  a  strong  desire  and  humble  determination,  by 
God's  help,  to  live  a  Christian  life,  and  walk  in  His  holy  will 
and  commandments. 


1 66  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

A  simple  way  of  trying  your  fitness  is  to  take  the  baptismal 
questions,  and  ask  yourself  in  your  own  chamber  whether  you 
can  answer  to  them  as  in  the  presence  of  God  alone  ;  and  if  you 
can  return  the  answers  before  God,  you  need  not  fear  to  return 
them  before  men. 

But  I  will  go  further,  my  dear  George,  and  place  before  you 
some  other  questions,  by  way  of  showing  you  more  fully  what 
repentance,  and  faith,  and  a  Christian  life  really  are.  Do  you 
feel  that  you  are  sinful  ?  Do  you  see  that,  if  you  were  left  to 
yourself  without  the  grace  of  God,  you  would  grow  up  in  sin,  and 
be  led  on  to  everlasting  ruin  ?  Have  you  felt  yourself  drawn  to 
flee  from  sin,  to  fear  temptation,  and  to  choose  the  service  of 
God  as  your  portion  ?  Are  you  truly  thankful  that  your  heavenly 
Father  sent  His  Son  into  the  world  for  your  salvation  ?  Do  you 
trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  as  your  Saviour  ?  Do  you  desire  to  be 
willing  rather  to  lose  the  whole  world  than  to  lose  your  own  soul  ? 
Are  you  ready,  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  to  bear  any  shame  or  ridi- 
cule from  the  thoughtless  and  wicked  ?  Do  you  mean  to  live  in 
the  habit  of  daily  self-examination,  as  well  as  of  reading  the 
Scriptures  and  of  private  prayer?  Do  you  wish  to  receive  the 
Holy  Communion,  either  at  once  or  within  a  year,  and  to  be  pre- 
paring for  it  with  such  self-examination  as  that  described  in  the 
Catechism  ?  Do  you  feel  that  all  will  be  fruitless  unless  you  per- 
severe to  the  end  ?  Do  you  feel  that  you  have  no  strength  for 
all  this,  except  that  which  you  will  receive  from  the  Holy  Spirit, 
in  answer  to  your  prayers?  And  are  you  determined,  by  God's 
help,  always  so  to  seek  that  you  may  find  ? 

If  so,  and  if  you  have  been  for  some  time  reflecting  on  the 
subject,  I  should  counsel  you  to  go  forward  without  delay.  If 
it  is  but  very  recently  that  your  attention  has  been  drawn  to  it, 
I  should  recommend  to  you  to  take  the  advice  of  your  parents, 
whether  you  should  be  confirmed  now  or  on  the  next  occasion  ; 
but  if  you  should  wait,  by  all  means  to  decide  now  that  it  shall 
take  place  then,  and  to  be  daily  striving  to  be  in  readiness.  My 
own  knowledge  of  you  and  of  your  education  would  not  lead  me 
to  think  such  a  delay  best ;  but  your  parents  can  judge  better  of 
your  liability  to  act  hastily. 

If  you  have  indeed  chosen  the  better  part,  my  dear  nephew, 
and  given  up  your  heart  to  be  made  a  temple  of  Him  to  whom 
you  were  dedicated  in  baptism,  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  is  with 
you ;  the  prayers  of  your  friends  are  answered,  and  there  is  joy 
in  heaven.  It  will  be  a  blessed  example  for  your  younger 
brothers  and  sister ;  and  I  trust  that  a  life  of  usefulness  is  before 
you.  My  prayers  have  always  been  offered  for  you,  such  as  they 
are ;  and  they  will  be  offered  at  this  time,  especially,  that  God 
may  guide  you  to  that  decision,  wliich  will  be  pleasing  in  His 
sight,  and  forever  a  blessing  to  your  soul. 


LETTERS.  167 

Give  my  love  to  your  dear  father  and  mother,  and  think  of 
me  always  as 

Your  affectionate  uncle, 

George  Burgess. 

P.  S.  I  have  not  spoken  of  what  confirmation  is  on  the  part 
of  God.  But  it  is  the  seal  of  great  and  unfailing  promises.  There 
are  many  good  books  on  the  subject  of  confirmation,  some  one 
of  which  you  might  well  read.  Amongst  the  best  are  Dr.  Tyng's 
Guide  to  Confirmation  and  a  little  address  of  Dr.  Lewis." 

Gardiner,  May  22d,  1852. 

"  Mv  Dear  George:  As  I  was  passing  through  Portsmouth, 
your  mother  gave  me  a  letter  which  she  had  received  from  you, 
and  desired  that  I  would  take  an  opportunity  to  answer  it.  This 
I  am  very  glad  to  do,  hoping  to  enable  you  to  give  an  easy  reply 
to  any  who  may  object  to  the  blessed  doctrines  of  that  Scrip- 
tural Church  in  which  you  have  been  educated,  and  to  which  you 
owe  so  much. 

There  seem  to  be  two  questions  which  have  been  before  the 
minds  of  your  friends,  and  which  must  not  be  confused.  The 
first  is,  as  to  the  connection  between  regeneration  and  baptism. 
The  other  is  as  to  the  baptism  of  infants. 

With  regard  to  the  first  point,  the  term  '  regeneration'  is 
directly  applied  in  the  Scriptures  to  baptism.  It  is  thus  applied, 
in  the  third  chapter  of  St.  John,  and  in  the  third  chapter  of 
Titus.  The  early  Christians  so  applied  it  with  one  voice,  uni- 
formly speaking  of  the  baptized  as  the  regenerate.  So  did  all  the 
Reformers ;  Luther,  Calvin,  and  all  the  rest  without  any  hesita- 
tion. 

The  meaning  of  all  this  is  that  baptism  is  the  sign,  the  expres- 
sion, the  sacrament,  of  spiritual  regeneration.  It  is  true  that  a 
person  is  regenerate  in  baptism,  in  the  same  sense  in  which  it 
is  true  that  he  eats  and  drinks  the  body  and  blood  of  the 
Lord  at  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  is  a  sacramental  transaction  ;  in 
which,  if  the  ordinance  be  received  in  faith,  all  which  it  expresses 
and  signifies  becomes  real.  Recollect  that  it  is  only  a  name,  the 
name  'regeneration,'  which  is  here  concerned.  No  one  has 
a  right  to  say  that  regeneration  can  signify  nothing  but  a  change 
of  heart,  unless  the  word  of  God  has  said  it  before.  But  the 
word  of  God  has  not  said  it,  but  has,  on  the  contrary,  clearly 
applied  the  name  to  baptism,  'the  washing  of  regeneration,' 
being  connected  with  the  'renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,'  just 
as  being  '  born  of  water'  is  connected  with  being  '  born  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.' 

As  to  the  second  point,  the  baptism  of  infants  is  nothing  more 
than  those  parents  did  who  brought  their  children  to  our  Sa- 


1 68  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

viour,  that  he  might  bless  them.  The  Baptists  forbid  it ;  but  He 
says,  '  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them 
not;  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.'  You  will  ask  no 
other  authority ;  if  you  did,  the  practice  of  the  Apostles  and  of 
the  whole  Church  from  their  time  downward  would  give  it.  And 
though  I  have  great  respect  for  many  individual  Baptists,  yet  I 
cannot  but  think  that  the  rejection  of  infant  baptism,  falling  in 
as  it  does  with  the  sinful  slothfulness  of  so  many  parents,  has 
been  one  of  the  greatest  causes  of  the  growth  of  irreligion  in  our 
country,  especially  in  this  region.  What  reason  have  you  to  be 
thankful  for  parents  who  gave  you  to  God  at  the  font,  and  then 
trained  you  up  in  His  fear  and  faith  !  Never,  I  beseech  you, 
listen,  for  a  moment,  to  any  persuasion  which  would  tempt  you 
to  wish  to  have  been  brought  up  out  of  the  Christian  covenant, 
and  to  regard  all  children  as  simply  like  the  heathen,  as  to  all 
participation  in  the  pledges  and  ordinances  of  our  Saviour. 

When  children  are  baptized,  of  course  the  whole  transaction 
looks  forward  to  the  future.  The  same  language  is  applied  to 
them  as  to  grown  up  persons  ;  but  the  engagements  of  their 
sponsors  indicate  the  conditions  of  the  covenant,  to  be  fulfilled 
hereafter.  But  the  original  promise  and  gift  of  grace  are  un- 
conditional ;  their  very  reception  into  the  covenant  at  all  is  an 
act  of  God's  free  favor  ;  all  must  begin  from  His  love  ;  and  in 
faithful  anticipation  that  what  He  begins  He  will  perfect,  we  do 
not  hesitate  to  bless  Him  that  baptized  children  are  in  a  most 
important  and  Scriptural  sense,  '  regenerated  by  His  Spirit,'  and 
made  His  children  ;  that  their  Christian  life  is  begun. 

You  ask,  '  From  what  sin  is  a  person  washed  by  baptism  ?' 
From  every  sin  from  which  Saul  was  washed  when  he  obeyed 
the  command,  '  Arise,  and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away  thy 
sins;'  from  every  sin,  past  or  future,  of  which  he  repents  or 
shall  truly  repent.  The  washing  is  sacramental,  not  literal  nor 
merely  internal,  but  as  baptism  is  the  appointed  seal  of  the 
divine  forgiveness.  '  Repent,  and  be  baptized  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins.'  If  you  mean,  from  what  sin  is  a  child  washed, 
you  must  remember  that  the  child  has  a  sinful  nature,  and 
cannot  please  God  till  this  is  cleansed  through  grace ;  and  more- 
over, that  he  is  sure,  if  he  lives,  to  commit  actual  sin,  the  for- 
giveness of  which,  whenever  he  truly  repents,  he  can  regard  as 
sealed  by  his  baptism. 

I  hope,  my  dear  George,  that  at  your  age,  you  will  not  go  too 
far  in  the  discussion  of  any  matter  of  controversy.  But  you  are 
right  in  wishing  to  be  able  to  answer  objections.  Do  not  suffer 
your  mind  to  be  at  all  drawn  away  from  the  straight  and  narrow 
way  of  duty,  do  not  think  all  religious  persuasions  equally  good. 
There  are  good  men  in  many  of  them,  many  good  men;  but  the 
Church  is  the  safest  path. 


LETTERS.  169 

May  God  bless  you  in  all  your  studies,  and  prepare  you  for  a 
life  of  usefulness  ! 

Your  affectionate  uncle, 

George  Burgess. 

P.  S.  Bishop  Meade's  'Companion  to  the  Font'  would  be 
useful  to  you.  Dr.  Crocker,  I  presume,  would  lend  it,  or  some 
similar  book,  to  you." 

Gardiner,  April  4th,  1853. 

"My  Dear  Eliza  :  We  heard  with  great  thankfulness  of  your 
confirmation,  because  we  believed  that  you  had  chosen  in  your 
early  youth  the  ways  of  piety  and  peace.  I  trust,  too,  that, 
having  been  admitted  to  the  Holy  Communion,  you  will  always 
be  enabled  as  long  as  you  live  '  to  draw  near  with  faith,  and 
take  that  holy  sacrament  to  your  comfort.'  Your  mother,  who 
has  every  confidence  in  your  sincerity,  earnestness,  and  know- 
ledge of  your  duty,  yet,  feeling  the  value  of  counsel  for  one  so 
young,  desires  me  to  write  to  you,  and  I  do  it  with  great  plea- 
sure. 

Nothing  is  of  more  importance  to  you,  my  dear  child,  than 
to  preserve  stedfastly  your  habits  of  private  devotion.  Never 
permit  yourself  to  be  deprived  of  this  benefit  by  any  circum- 
stances or  any  companions.  If  you  find  one  arrangement  incon- 
venient, adopt  another ;  and  do  not  so  prolong  these  private 
duties  as  to  make  them  a  burden,  lest  you  fall  into  temptations 
to  neglect.  I  hope  that,  besides  your  Bible  and  Prayer-book, 
you  have  some  good  books  of  prayers  or  meditations  which  will 
assist  you  in  examining  yourself,  and  in  asking  those  things 
which  you  need,  and  especially  at  the  season  of  the  Communion. 
While  you  pray  in  secret  to  your  Father  who  seeth  in  secret, 
yet  never  let  any  one  suppose  that  you  are  ashamed  to  be  known 
as  one  who  prays  habitually.  It  may  spare  you  much  trouble 
and  embarrassment  if  all  who  are  around  you  understand  that 
you  wish  to  live  as  a  Christian. 

Try  to  be  courageous  in  this  respect ;  but  be  so  with  great 
simplicity  and  humility.  Do  not  seek  to  be  distinguished  from 
others  in  any  needless  way.  Be  unaffected  and  undisguised. 
Show  kindness  to  all,  and  respect  to  those  who  are  older  than 
yourself.  Seek  to  be  what  a  very  young  Christian  should  be, 
modest,  good-tempered,  amiable,  ready  to  promote  the  happi- 
ness of  others,  and  to  enjoy  whatever  is  right  and  innocent,  but 
always  careful  above  all  things  to  do  what  is  pleasing  in  the 
sight  of  your  Father  in  heaven.  This,  I  say,  should  be  emi- 
nently the  character  of  a  very  young  Christian.  Then  it  will 
continue  to  be  your  character  through  life  ;  but,  if  your  life  is 


1 70  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

prolonged,  other  duties  will  arise,  and  other  traits  of  character 
may  be  demanded  to  which  you  are  less  called  at  present. 

The  question  may  sometimes  present  itself,  how  far  you  can 
properly  participate  in  some  amusements  in  which  religious  per- 
sons do  not  generally  unite.  It  is  a  subject  which  is  sometimes 
trying  to  the  young  much  more  than  in  later  years.  You  may 
confide  in  the  direction  of  your  mother  or  other  Christian  friends 
who  are  near  you,  and  whose  advice  you  can  obtain.  But  it  is 
generally  safest  to  err,  if  at  all,  on  the  side  which,  you  are  sure, 
will  not  be  against  your  conscience,  and  will  not  seem  wrong  to 
any  other  person.  The  great  danger  is,  however,  not  in  doing 
two  or  three  times,  something  which  is  not  directly  sinful, 
though  of  bad  tendency,  but  rather  in  acquiring  a  love  of  trifling 
pleasures  and  a  habit  of  thoughtlessness.  Whenever  you  find 
this  threatening  you,  be  on  your  guard,  and  see  -^vhether  you  are 
not  mingling  too  much  with  those  who  do  not  obey  your  Saviour. 

I  hardly  need  express  the  hope  that  you  will  endeavor  to  im- 
prove your  mind,  to  learn  all  which  is  to  be  learned  at  your 
age,  and  to  become  prepared  for  usefulness  hereafter.  View 
everything  of  this  kind  as  a  part  of  your  religion  ;  seeking  to  do 
well  whatever  you  have  to  do,  and  asking  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  all  your  studies,  labors,  engagements,  and  enjoyments. 
Think  much  of  your  blessed  father.  You  have  taken  a  step 
which  would  have  gladdened  his  heart.  Endeavor  now  so  to 
act  always  as  you  know  that  he  would  have  advised,  and  as  he 
must  now  approve,  in  the  world  where  he  'lives  unto  God,'  as 
we  humbly  trust. 

Write  to  me,  my  dear  Eliza,  if  at  any  time  you  need  any 
counsel  which  I  can  give,  or  any  other  assistance ;  and  think  of 
me  always  as 

Your  affectionate  uncle, 

George  Burgess." 

An  instance  of  care  beyond  his  own  family  may  be  added. 
A  young  friend  having  disclosed  to  him  the  state  of  mind  of 
another  young  person  to  whom  she  was  about  to  write,  he  sent 
her  the  following  hints  for  her  letter  :  — 

"  I  would  earnestly  recommend  to  her  to  fix  her  faith  firmly 
on  the  word  of  God,  and  not  listen  at  all  to  spiritualism,  or 
universalism,  or  anything  that  unsettles  her  mind. 

Not  to  expect  to  understand  all  things,  especially  at  her  pre- 
sent age,  but  keep  an  humble  mind. 

To  put  difficulties  aside  when  she  cannot  explain  them,  as 
many  of  them  will  appear  very  differently  to  her  hereafter. 

Not  to  reject  the  truth  which  may  be  preached,  even  if  too 


THE  CLAIMS  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS.  171 

much  should  be  said  of  God's  wrath  and  of  punishment  to  come  : 
because  His  word  says  much  on  these  subjects.  But  she  should 
not  dwell  upon  them  chiefly. 

The  judgment  is  to  be  at  the  last  day ;  but  at  death  the  good 
and  the  evil  are  separated  ;  and  the  spirits  of  the  former  are  in 
paradise,  those  of  the  latter  in  woe. 

In  the  resurrection  the  spirit  is  united  to  the  body,  which  is 
changed  so  as  to  be  incorruptible  and  immortal.  It  is  necessary 
that  both  should  be  united  in  the  final  state  of  being.  We  can- 
not think  of  the  future  life  except  as  children  think  of  the  world. 
We  see  through  a  glass  darkly.  But  if  we  love  our  Saviour  and 
follow  him,  we  shall  grow  up  to  that  heavenly  state.  It  is 
described  only  by  images  and  comparisons  with  all  which  is 
most  beautiful  here. 

God  is  everywhere  present,  and  all  His  works  are  to  be  ad- 
mired and  loved  ;  but  He  only,  and  not  they,  is  to  be  worshipped. 
We  cannot  comprehend  His  nature;  but  we  must  look  up  to 
Him,  through  Christ,  as  our  Father ;  trust  in  His  wisdom  and 
goodness;  believe  His  word;  and  be  sure  that  He  will  make 
all  clear  to  us  hereafter." 


XXVII. 

THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS  OF  THE  CHURCH  BEFORE  ANY 
VOLUNTARY  SOCIETY. 

The  following  letter,  written  in  the  spring  of  i860,  in  answer 
to  an  invitation  to  attend  a  meeting  to  organize  a  new  missionary 
society,  may  be  given  without  introduction  or  comment. 

Gardiner,  March  20,  i860. 

''Rev.  S.  H.  Tyng,  D.  D.,  Rev.  F.  S.  Wiley,  Stewart 
Brown,  Esq. 

Gentlemen  :  The  circular  bearing  your  signatures,  and  dated 
on  the  5th  of  the  present  month,  invites  me  to  be  present  at  a 
meeting  at  New  York  on  the  nth  of  April;  and,  should  I  be 
unable  to  attend,  asks  an  expression  of  my  opinion  in  writing  on 
the  expediency  of  such  a  movement  as  that  in  contemplation  of 
which  the  meeting  is  to  be  held.  That  movement  is  the  forma- 
tion of  a  Voluntary  Missionary  Association  as  a  substitute,  at 
least  on  the  part  of  those  who  may  be  connected  with  it,  for  the 
present  Board  of  Missions  of  our  Church. 

I  am  emboldened  by  this  request  to  say  more  than  I  should 
feel  myself  at  liberty  to  do  under  other  circumstances ;  for  I  am 
very  sensible  that  I  should  have  no  right  to  expect  much  per- 


172  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

sonal  or  official  influence  in  the  decision.  But  the  reasons  which 
I  may  offer  will,  I  am  sure,  receive  just  attention  for  their  own 
sake.  I  may  be  permitted,  however,  to  remark,  not  in  my  own 
behalf,  but  in  that  of  others  to  whom  the  consideration  is  more 
applicable,  that  if  this  subject  is  one  in  which  they  who  stand 
at  the  centre  of  commercial  wealth,  and  dispense  or  control 
nobly  its  contributions,  have  a  strong  interest,  not  less,  at  least, 
is  it  that  of  those  who  on  the  frontiers  of  the  Church  or  in  for- 
eign lands,  entrust  their  own  lives  and  their  families  to  the  care 
of  the  kind  Providence  of  God  for  the  Gospel's  sake,  and  in  re- 
liance on  the  large-hearted  affection  of  their  brethren. 

The  question  is  not  whether  it  was  wise  to  adopt  the  existing 
arrangement,  nor  whether  it  is  now  best  to  set  it  aside  by  the  same 
authority  by  which  it  was  adopted,  but  whether,  side  by  side 
with  it,  another  shall  be  established,  not  as  auxiliary,  but  as  dis- 
tinct and  independent.  Nor  is  it  at  all  a  question  of  the  right  to 
do  this  ;  but  only  of  the  expediency,  and  so  of  the  duty. 

I  suppose  it  is  not  anticipated  that  the  existing  organization  of 
our  Church  Missions  will  at  present  be  dissolved.  My  own 
impression  is,  that  whatever  modifications  may  be  adopted  in 
favor  of  the  voluntary  course  of  action,  the  Church  can  never 
dismiss  the  subject  from  its  collective  counsels,  administration, 
and  control.  If  the  Church  is  not  to  '  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature,'  I  see  not  for  what  purpose  it  exists  on  earth  ;  and  it  can 
no  more  surrender  up  to  the  voluntary  action  of  individuals  all 
which  concerns  this  duty  at  home  or  abroad,  than  all  matters  of 
doctrine,  discipline,  or  worship.  The  present  organization  may 
or  may  not  be  the  best ;  but  there  must  be  somewhere  in  the 
collective  Church,  a  power  answering  to  its  duty  to  send  forth 
missionaries,  specify  fields,  assign  stations,  regulate  modes  of 
operation,  prescribe  laws,  and  collect  contributions.  That  the 
Church,  having  undertaken  this,  should  now  relinquish  it,  would, 
in  my  view,  be  simply  a  neglect  of  one  of  its  chief  offices  and 
duties,  and  therefore  inexpedient,  as  everything  which  is  wrong 
must  be  inexpedient. 

But  if,  without  the  dissolution  of  the  existing  Board  of  Mis- 
sions, a  voluntary  society  should  be  established,  there  must  be 
two  systems,  each  inviting  support  from  the  members  of  our 
communion.  That  which  already  exists  would  have  the  prior 
claim,  also  the  influence  proceeding  from  its  solemn  inaugura- 
tion as  the  organ  of  the  Church  for  the  management  of  its  mis- 
sions. All  who  see  no  reasons  for  doing  otherwise  would  natu- 
rally continue  to  sustain  it  by  their  collections  and  donations.  It 
will  be  incumbent  on  the  new  society  to  show  some  reason  for 
doing  otherwise.  I  can  suppose  none  except  such  as  shall  declare 
a  want  of  confidence  in  the  existing  organization.  As  I  am  not 
aware  that  any  great  dissatisfaction  exists  in  connection  with  its 


THE  CLAIMS  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS.  173 

financial  management,  or  any  serious  complaint  as  to  other  de- 
tails, I  conclude  that  the  only  want  of  confidence  which  will 
be  avowed  must  be  of  the  most  general  character,  and  would  be 
felt  towards  any  system  which  should  be  administered  under  the 
direction  and  sanction  of  the  whole  Church  through  its  constituted 
authorities,  representatives,  and  agents. 

An  attitude  which  indicates  such  a  want  of  confidence  towards 
the  Church  whose  members  we  are,  must  be  most  insidious  and 
painful.  Nothing  less  than  the  strongest  sense  of  unavoidable 
duty  and  of  abuses  utterly  intolerable,  should  constrain  Christian 
men  to  occupy  such  a  position.  Apart  from  this,  it  is  one  which 
cannot,  unless  the  necessity  be  apparent,  but  prejudice  the  cause 
which  is  thus  sustained,  since,  unless  there  be  such  a  necessity, 
it  must  appear  unamiable,  unkind,  and  selfish.  It  does  not 
invite  confidence  of  itself,  it  does  not  attract,  and  so  cannot  be 
expedient. 

Then,  in  what  a  light  does  it  present  the  Church,  whose  mem- 
bers cannot  agree  even  in  the  blessed  work  of  sending  out  mission- 
aries !  The  very  missionaries  who  are  sent  are  of  two  classes. 
They  meet  in  heathen  ground  or  in  remote  parts  of  our  own 
country,  under  different  badges,  with  distrust  upon  each  brow, 
forbidden  to  be  heartily  brethren,  by  the  very  terms  under  which 
they  are  sent  forth  !  And  what  can  we  have  to  say  of  the  unity 
of  our  Church,  if  it  does  not  extend  so  far  as  to  enable  us  to 
work  together  in  a  field  in  which  every  other  denomination  holds 
its  members  united.  I  am  not  aware  of  any  denomination  or 
church,  in  which  there  are  rival  missionary  organizations.  Shall 
we  be  the  first?  Is  it  expedient  thus  to  offer  the  privileges  of 
our  Church  where  it  is  little  known  ? 

If  it  appear  that  there  is  ground  for  believing  the  action  of  the 
present  Board  of  Missions  to  have  resulted  in  any  preponderance 
of  the  views  on  certain  subjects  which  are  held  by  one  portion  of 
the  Church  rather  than  those  which  are  dear  to  another,  has 
this  been  otherwise  than  through  the  fair  and  legitimate  influence 
of  majorities  ?  If  not,  it  cannot  avail  much  to  separate  from  the 
Board  ;  for  the  majority  of  the  clergy  and  laity,  whether  in  the 
election  of  Bishops  or  in  the  missionary  field,  must  ordinarily 
prevail ;  and  such  as  are  most  of  the  clergy,  such,  unless  for 
special  causes,  will  be  most  of  the  missionaries.  It  is  easier  and 
better  to  contend  fairly  for  this  superiority  of  numbers,  within 
the  organization  already  established,  than  to  originate  and  main- 
tain another. 

The  inexpediency  of  such  a  contest  is  also  manifest  from  the 
fact  that,  at  its  very  beginning,  all  but  those  who  are  prepared  to 
secede  are  necessarily  placed  in  an  apparent  opposition  to  the 
principles  on  account  of  which  the  secession  takes  place.     Being 


174  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

not  with  you,  they  are  against  you ;  and  yet  they  must  include 
vast  numbers  who  have  no  conscious  antagonism  to  evangelical 
doctrine,  and  who  would  rejoice  to  see  its  prevalence  everywhere 
in  the  Church.  But  they  remain  where  the  banner  of  the  Church 
is  spread  forth,  for  they  know  no  better  standard ;  and  the  seces- 
sion tends,  though  often  without  full  success,  to  throw  the  name 
of  the  Church,  and  the  weight  of  all  its  less  active  members,  and 
the  influence  of  many  impartial  and  pious  people,  without  any 
consent  of  theirs,  on  the  side  of  the  very  errors  which  you  seek 
to  oppose. 

I  am  disposed  also  to  claim  it  as  a  right  of  the  mass  of  plain 
Christian  people,  that  they  should  not  be  compelled  to  make  a 
choice  of  this  kind.  They  wish  to  contribute  to  missions ;  the 
Church  ought  to  appoint  the  channel ;  and  not  to  leave  them  to 
determine,  every  man  for  himself,  which  of  two  societies,  headed 
by  two  sets  of  gentlemen,  deserves  most  their  confidence.  That 
they  should  prefer  that  which  has  the  sanction  of  the  General 
Convention,  and  of  the  body  of  their  Bishops  and  pastors,  is 
natural,  till  they  see  some  cause  to  the  contrary;  and  it  is  a  serious 
responsibility  which  must  be  assumed  by  those  who  would  shake 
this  very  proper  reliance. 

Is  it  well,  too,  to  aim  even  an  apparent  blow  at  the  Episco- 
pate ;  and  to  teach  the  people  to  regard  their  Bishops  with  sys- 
tematic distrust  ?  There  is  quite  as  much  probability  that  the 
Bishop  will  be  a  good  and  godly  man,  zealous  and  discreet, 
sound  and  evangelical,  as  any  other  of  the  prominent  presbyters 
from  amongst  whom  he  has  been  elected.  If  the  office  is  worth 
retaining  it  is  worth  respecting ;  and  I  fear  that  a  new  society, 
established  now,  and  entrusting  to  a  committee  functions  which 
are  denied  to  the  Bishops,  and  which  they  are  accused  of  exer- 
cising to  the  injury  of  evangelical  truth,  will  be  viewed  as  im- 
parting an  assault  on  some  of  their  number,  and  a  determination 
to  depreciate  the  authority  and  influence  of  all. 

What  security  can  be  furnished  for  the  doctrine  of  the  mission- 
aries of  the  society  or  of  its  committees?  Is  there  to  be  any  test 
beyond  the  articles,  the  liturgy,  and  the  promises  at  ordination  ? 
Are  our  clergy  to  be  divided  into  two  classes,  one  of  which  may 
be  employed  by  the  society,  the  other  esteemed  unworthy  of  its 
aid  ? 

If  there  be  no  test,  what  is  this  but  the  judgment  of  one 
man  or  committee  over  against  that  of  another;  and  why,  on  the 
average,  should  your  committee  deserve  greater  reliance  than  the 
Bishop  and  Standing  Committee,  or  other  Committee  of  any 
Diocese  ?  What  guarantee  will  you  furnish  to  the  Church  for 
care,  impartiality,  judicious  selection,  and  evangelical  truth  ?  If 
there  be  a  test,  what  is  this  but  to  narrow  the  system  of  the  Church, 
and  say  that  it  does  not  require  enough  of  its  ministers  ?     And 


THE  CLAIMS  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS.  175 

what  is  the  position  of  missionaries  who  go  out  with  their  hands 
or  minds  bound,  so  that  they  must  not  deviate  from  a  Hne  of 
conduct,  or  of  teaching,  which  other  clergymen,  if  their  con- 
science permit,  are  free  to  disregard  ?  Would  any  of  us  consent 
to  such  obligations,  over  and  above  those  which  the  Church 
imposes  ? 

I  beg  also  that  the  virtual  impossibility  of  two  missionary 
associations  may  be  considered  ;  except  in  connection  with  large 
cities.  Only  in  such  cities  where  there  are  several  churches, 
can  the  Episcopalian  consult  his  preferences.  Elsewhere,  he  must 
go  to  the  parish  church  and  listen  to  the  rector,  whoever  he  be. 
In  such  a  parish  you  cannot  well  make  contributions  for  rival 
Missionary  Societies.  Parishes  cannot  afford  to  be  divided  thus  : 
nor  can  small  dioceses  :  we  must  act  harmoniously  and  leave  the 
luxury  of  double  organization  to  others.  Is  it  desirable  then 
that  the  minority  in  a  parish  should  suppose  their  contributions 
to  be  expended  in  the  propagation  of  error  ;  or  that  small  dioceses 
should  be  agitated  by  continual  attempts  to  turn  their  humble 
policy  in  one  direction  or  the  other,  to  the  great  discontent  of 
the  party  which  does  not  prevail  ? 

The  analogy  of  the  Church  of  England  has  here  no  application. 
That  Church  is  a  great  national  establishment  and  embraces 
multitudes,  who,  if  it  were  not,  might  never  have  been  in  it ;  and 
many  clergymen  who  but  for  its  national  and  social  position 
would  never  have  been  clergymen.  Our  people,  on  the  other 
hand,  are  Churchmen  by  conviction,  and  have  no  strong  reasons 
for  remaining  in  the  Church,  unless  they  believe  its  doctrines. 
Our  clergy  have  not  been  led  to  seek  their  office  by  any  worldly 
motives  which  would  depreciate  the  standard  of  ministerial  fidelity 
and  scriptural  truth.  The  different  societies  in  the  English 
Church  have  had  a  historical  origin  which  ours  can  never  have  ; 
they  have  not  sprung  from  the  simple  determination  to  associate 
in  opposition  to  a  general  organization  of  the  Church  already 
existing  for  the  same  purpose.  Besides,  that  Church  is  of  uni- 
versal extent  and  able  to  include  a  variety  of  agencies,  while  we 
are  comparatively  small,  and  must  be  weakened  by  division. 

This  leads  me  also  to  remark  that  they,  who,  in  remote  parts 
of  the  country  or  in  new  parishes,  have  to  make  the  Church 
known,  are  greatly  embarrassed  in  their  work  by  the  appearance 
of  organized  differences  within  our  communion.  They  find  it 
hard  to  invite  people  to  dwell  in  a  house  which  seems  divided  against 
itself.  The  evil  already  exists,  but  a  new  Missionary  Society 
will  aggravate  it  not  a  little.  It  is  not  differences  of  opinion  that 
disturb  men  of  any  reflection,  for  these  they  expect ;  but  they  are 
bewildered  by  organized  parties ;  and  the  apparent  necessity  of 
taking  one  side  or  the  other. 


176  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

And  after  all  is  it  a  necessity  in  itself,  and  a  duty  to  God,  that 
two  great  parties  should  be  perpetuated  in  our  Church  through 
means  like  these  ?  Can  we  do  nothing  together,  beyond  meeting 
in  Convention  and  once  in  the  year  receiving  the  Lord's  Supper 
with  one  another  ?  Is  all  our  unity  to  be  confined  to  the  use  of  the 
same  ritual  on  Sundays  ?  Is  it  so  that  there  must  be  no  mutual 
counsels ;  no  books  read  alike  by  all ;  no  association  in  schools, 
colleges,  or  seminaries  ;  no  exchange  of  pulpits ;  no  periodicals 
having  general  circulation  amongst  us ;  no  manuals  of  instruction 
which  all  can  employ  ;  no  Bishops  revered  by  all  their  charge  ; 
but  everywhere  divided  dioceses,  divided  parishes,  divided 
families?  Some  good  men  seem  to  answer  'yes,'  but  I  hope 
that  the  general  voice  will  answer,  as  I  am  sure  that  the  feelings 
of  my  heart,  and  the  convictions  of  my  mind  do  loudly  answer, 
'  no,  no,  there  is  no  need  of  a  gulf  like  this.'  Errors  must  be 
boldly  encountered  by  force  of  scriptural  argument  and  godly 
example.  Opinions  rise  and  fall.  The  winds  of  doctrine  blow 
the  unstable  about.  But  the  Church  must  not  be  divided  for  the 
sake  of  fleeing  from  these.  Its  sacred  places  must  not  be  aban- 
doned to  them,  that  we  may  labor  more  easily  or  more  to  our 
own  mind,  where  we  can  have  sole  control. 

I  will  add  but  one  word  more  to  this  long  communication. 
Division  once  organized,  is  usually  permanent.  The  causes  may 
long  have  ceased  ;  the  effect  remains.  It  may  even  become 
entirely  altered  in  its  own  character,  and  present  a  complete 
departure  from  its  original  spirit  and  purpose  ;  but  as  division, 
it  has  created  names,  interests,  pecuniary  endowments,  and  a 
history ;  and  so  it  stands.  How  surely  would  Puritanism  and 
Methodism  have  melted  down  into  the  Church  again,  and  have 
done  it  all  the  good  which  they  could,  had  they  not  become 
organized  over  against  it.  Where,  as  yet,  is  the  instance  of 
effectual  reunion,  amongst  all  the  separations  of  these  latter  days  ? 
I  leave  the  thought  with  you.  The  meeting  will  act  under  a 
responsibility  which  they  cannot  measure.  Unless  separation 
should  be  a  sacred  duty,  it  must  be  a  grievous  wrong,  entailing 
very  lasting  results,  which  I  dare  not  contemplate,  in  their  pos- 
sible extent  and  duration. 

These,  brethren  most  respected,  are  my  reasons  for  deeming 
the  proposed  establishment  of  a  voluntary  Missionary  Society 
distinct  from  the  Board  of  Missions,  to  be  entirely  inexpedient. 
I  earnestly  pray  that  those  who  shall  assemble  may  be  endued 
with  wisdom  from  above,  and  preserved  from  all  decisions  which 
might  too  late  be  lamented. 

I  am,  with  the  sincerest  Christian  regard,  your  brother  in  the 
Lord,  George  Burgess." 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  CANDIDATES  FOR  ORDERS.     177 

Subsequently  in  the  same  year  the  Bishop  published  in  one 
of  the  Church  newspapers  thirty-nine  reasons  for  abiding  by  the 
Board  of  Missions  in  preference  to  the  Church  Missionary  Society. 
In  following  years,  both  in  conversation  and  letters,  he  sustained 
the  same  views. 

It  has  been  thought  best  to  insert  in  full  the  letter  in  this 
section,  among  other  reasons,  because  the  name  of  Bishop  Bur- 
gess was  published  as  that  of  a  patron  of  the  American  Church 
Missionary  Society,  while  he  never  gave  his  approbation  to  the 
principles  upon  which  it  was  organized  or  his  offerings  to  its 
Treasury. 


XXVIII. 

THE  RELATIONS   OF  BISHOP   BURGESS  TO  YOUNG   MEN  AND 
TO  CANDIDATES  FOR  ORDERS. 

This  Section  is  contributed  by  one,  from  his  earliest  confes- 
sion of  Christ,  under  the  care  of  the  Bishop,  the  Rev.  John  F. 
Spaulding,  Candidate,  Deacon,  and  Presbyter  in  Maine,  now 
Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Erie,  Diocese  of  Pittsburg. 

Bishop  Burgess  had  some  peculiar  qualifications  for  interest- 
ing young  men.  He  was  sympathetic  in  his  nature.  He  was  gentle 
and  considerate  in  his  intercourse.  He  could  give  advice  or 
administer  reproof  without  seeming  to  dictate ;  and  impart  in- 
struction without  appearing  to  exact  a  feeling  of  humiliation. 
His  words  and  manner,  like  the  expression  of  his  countenance, 
were  the  index  of  his  kindness  of  heart  and  sweetness  of  disposi- 
tion. His  conversation  was  full  of  the  seeds  of  thought.  It  was 
to  an  extraordinary  degree  animating  and  inspiring.  One  could 
not  be  long  in  his  presence  without  a  feeling  of  elevation,  and  an 
impulse  to  higher  and  nobler  living.  His  influence  is  not  to  be 
explained  by  his  intellectual  character  alone,  great  as  this  was. 
The  impression  he  made  was  pre-eminently  that  of  saintliness. 
It  was  felt  that  his  plane  of  living  was  higher  than  that  of  ordinary 
Christians.  You  took  knowledge  of  him  that  he  had  been  with 
Jesus.  His  whole  mind  and  heart  were  engrossed  by  the  motives, 
12 


178  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

the  aims,  the  work  of  his  Apostolic  office.  He  lived  in  a  spiritual 
atmosphere,  and  that  atmosphere  ever  surrounded  him.  He 
seemed  to  exalt  you  to  sit  with  him  in  the  heavenly  places  with 
Christ  Jesus.  Christian  young  men,  whose  privilege  it  was  to 
enjoy  his  friendship,  will  all  agree  in  this  testimony.  They  went 
forth  from  his  presence,  or  rose  from  the  perusal  of  his  letters 
even,  with  better  resolves,  with  higher  aims,  and  with  an  increase 
of  strength  for  devotion  to  study,  and  for  manly  and  Christian 
living. 

One  who  knew  him  in  Hartford  thus  writes : — 

"  I  shall  never  forget  that  amid  all  the  cares  of  his  ministry, 
he  ever  found  time  for  punctual  and  frequent  instructions  to  those 
who  sought  to  study  with  him.  In  Hebrew  he  gladly  gave  private 
lessons  to  a  small  class  of  students,  in  addition  to  his  instructions 
at  Trinity  (then  Washington)  College.  He  was  never  so  busy 
as  to  decline  attention  to  the  inquiries  of  the  young  or  the  doubt- 
ing." 

The  interest  he  felt  in  young  men  suffered  no  diminution,  but 
rather  increased,  after  he  had  assumed  the  responsibilities  of  a 
diocese.  The  subject  of  his  second  charge  shows  that  young 
men  continued  to  be  the  objects  of  his  anxious  thought.  It  was 
"  the  duty  of  Christian  ministers  towards  young  men  and  men  of 
mature  years."  He  early  foresaw  the  importance  of  the  Church 
at  Brunswick,  the  seat  of  the  principal  College  in  Maine,  as  a 
means  of  bringing  our  doctrine  and  usages  before  the  attention 
of  students,  and  exerting  a  healthful  Christian  influence.  And 
he  had  the  happiness  of  seeing,  in  the  course  of  his  Episcopate, 
a  considerable  number,  whose  first  knowledge  of  the  Church 
had  been  gained  through  this  agency,  seeking  her  Communion 
and  preparing  to  minister  at  her  altars.  Regarded  by  the 
students  as  one  of  the  first  scholars  in  the  country,  and  admired 
as  a  sound  and  able  preacher,  many  of  them  would  embrace 
the  opportunity  of  hearing  him,  afforded  by  his  frequent  visitations 
to  the  parish,  which  generally  resulted  in  the  weakening  of  their 
traditional  prejudices  against  the  Church  of  which  he  was  so  dis- 
tinguished an  ornament,  or  in  some  new  view  of  the  beauty  of 
holiness  in  her  ritual.  He  frequently  gave  instruction  to  young 
men  in  classical  and  other  studies,  and  several  were  prepared  by 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  CANDIDATES  FOR  ORDERS.     179 

him  wholly  or  in  part  for  the  sacred  ministry.  His  Address 
entitled  "The  Passage  into  the  Ministry,"  delivered  to  the  gradu- 
ating class  of  our  General  Seminary  in  1850,  evinces  his  pro- 
found sympathy  with  young  men  at  this  great  crisis  of  life  ;  and 
is  full  of  wise  and  practical  counsel  in  regard  to  the  spirit  in 
which  the  great  work  of  the  ministry  should  be  prepared  for  and 
undertaken.  It  were  well  that  every  theological  student  should 
read  it  preparatory  to  his  ordination. 

His  relations  to  candidates  for  Holy  Orders  will  be  best  exhi- 
bited by  reference  to  cases  which  are  in  no  way  exceptional  or 
peculiar,  and  may  be  taken,  therefore,  as  types  of  his  relations 
generally  to  the  class  in  question. 

The  writer  of  this  section  dares  not  undertake  to  express  his 
deep  and  reverential  love  for  Bishop  Burgess,  from  the  time  of 
his  first  acquaintance  with  him.  So  far  would  the  expression  fall 
short  of  the  reality.  For  no  other  man  did  I  ever  feel  such  pro- 
found reverence.  In  no  other  man  did  I  ever  place  such  impli- 
cit confidence.  His  deep  wisdom,  his  vast  knowledge,  his 
practical  experience,  his  soundness  of  judgment,  his  freedom 
from  bias  or  prejudice  in  his  intercourse,  might  be  found  singly 
in  different  individuals,  but  rarely  in  their  combination  in  one 
person. 

My  admiration  for  the  Bishop,  conceived  from  the  first  inter- 
course with  him,  was  only  increased  by  fuller  knowledge  of  his 
character.  He  was  in  his  study  when  I  first  saw  him.  I  called 
to  make  some  inquiries  on  the  subject  of  the  Church,  with  a  view, 
should  the  way  be  made  clear,  of  ultimately  applying  for  bap- 
tism. He  answered  my  questions  with  great  patience ;  and  then 
directed  me  to  the  qualifications  required  for  baptism  by  the 
Church.  I  had  never  read  nor  heard  the  baptismal  service  of 
the  Prayer  Book ;  and  as  he  repeated  the  questions  and  answers 
to  the  candidate,  a  new  light  dawned  upon  my  mind,  darkened 
as  it  had  been  by  the  influences  of  imperfect,  sectarian  forms  of 
religion  \  and  I  saw  that  here  something  was  called  for,  of  a 
depth,  reality,  and  earnestness,  far  higher  than  could  be  found 
in  the  results  of  excitement  of  feeling  or  transient  religious  expe- 
riences. I  was  called  away  soon  after  to  a  remote  part  of  the 
State.     But  the  Bishop  never  lost  sight  of  me.     I  knew  that  I  was 


l8o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

not  forgotten  by  him,  and  that  his  interest  in  me  and  his  prayers 
for  right  guidance  were  continued.  On  one  occasion,  his  dio- 
cesan labors  bringing  him  near  my  home,  he  drove  twenty-five 
miles  in  an  open  vehicle  to  see  me.  It  was  a  cold  winter  day 
and  the  roads  were  almost  impassable.  Finding  that  I  was  un- 
fortunately absent,  he  left  a  letter,  full  of  interest,  good  wishes, 
and  wise  counsel,  directing  me  to  form  the  acquaintance  of  some 
of  the  nearer  clergy,  and  "  trusting  that  the  convictions,  both  as 
to  Christian  duty  and  as  to  the  character  of  the  Episcopal  Church, 
will  have  become  quite  plain."  A  remark  of  his  to  a  friend 
concerning  me,  about  this  time,  showed  his  confidence  in  the 
position  of  the  Church,  and  in  the  validity  of  her  claims:  ''  He 
is  studying  the  history  and  doctrines  of  the  Church,  and  I  have 
no  fear  of  the  result.  For  I  never  knew  one  to  do  so  thoroughly 
and  prayerfully,  without  being  convinced  that  the  truth  was  on 
our  side." 

He  did  not  fail  to  present  the  claims  of  the  ministry  as  a  pro- 
fession. Through  his  good  offices,  the  advantages  of  our  gene- 
ral school  of  the  prophets  was  opened  to  me.  His  loving  inte- 
rest followed  me  through  its  course  of  study,  and  his  Apostolic 
hands  commissioned  me  for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  Thus  was 
my  course  in  life  determined. 

His  occasional  intercourse  with  me,  and  his  letters,  which 
were  frequent,  were  in  every  sense  paternal.  His  advice,  in- 
struction, admonition,  were  of  the  highest  value.  I  can  never 
,  think  of  the  good  Providence  which  made  him  my  first  bishop, 
without  unceasing  gratitude  to  God.  I  speak  thus  of  my  own 
case  as  one  of  many.  The  same  faithfulness  was  shown  to  all ; 
the  same  gratitude  was  inspired  in  all  to  whom  he  stood  in  simi- 
lar relations. 

One  of  the  earliest  of  his  candidates  (the  Rev.  George  W. 
Durell)  who,  for  many  years,  till  God  saw  fit  to  remove  the 
Bishop  from  his  earthly  labors,  continued  to  uphold  his  hands, 
well  loved  by  him,  and  well  loving  in  return,  contributes  the  fol- 
lowing testimony : — 

"Shortly  after  becoming  a  candidate  for  Holy  Orders  I  met 
the  Bishop  in  his  Church  at  Gardiner,  and  never  shall  I  lose  the 
deep  impression  made  upon  me  of  the  lovely  and,  at  the  same 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  CANDIDATES  FOR  ORDERS.     i8i 

time,  the  commanding  character  of  the  man.  All  my  subsequent 
intercourse  with  him  only  confirmed  the  first  correct  impression. 
While  I  remained  a  candidate  for  the  Sacred  Ministry,  the 
Bishop's  letters  were  filled  with  expressions  that  showed  a  pater- 
nal care ;  his  counsels  were  eminently  wise,  judicious,  and  prac- 
tical ;  everything,  indeed,  which  one  so  situated  could  desire  or 
need.  On  one  point  his  inquiries  were  always  very  direct,  viz : 
whether  my  position  gave  me  the  opportunity  for  the  frequent 
and  regular  reception  of  the  Holy  Communion." 

To  the  writer  of  the  above  lines,  then  a  student  in  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  at  Alexandria,  were  addressed  the  two  letters 
given  below.  The  first  of  these  was  in  reply  to  a  question  that 
had  been  proposed  to  the  Bishop  in  relation  to  a  practice  among 
the  Divinity  Students  of  holding  certain  religious  services  in  the 
neighborhood.     The  other  requires  no  explanation. 

"Nov.  30th,  1848.  With  regard  to  the  question  which  you 
have  referred  to  my  opinion,  I  conceive  that  there  is  much 
room  for  the  exercise  of  your  individual  discretion.  The  cir- 
cumstances and  manner  will  determine  the  character  of  the  pro- 
ceeding. It  would  certainly  be  quite  improper  and  irregular 
that  a  student  in  divinity  should  undertake,  or  appear  to  under- 
take, the  task  of  preaching.  On  the  other  hand,  no  Christian 
should  be  hindered  from  speaking  a  few  words  of  friendly 
exhortation  where,  in  his  opinion,  they  will  be  profitable  to  a 
few  individuals  somewhat  informally  gathered  around  him,  as 
their  Sunday  school  teacher,  lay-reader  or  catechist.  The 
whole  danger  consists  in  the  temptation  to  forwardness  on  his 
part,  and  in  the  liability  on  theirs  to  mistake  his  position  or  the 
order  of  the  Church.  My  advice  would  be,  not  to  refuse  to  say 
anything  where  it  is  expected  and  desired  and  seems  likely  to 
do  good,  but  to  avoid  taking  a  text  or  expounding,  so  as  to  give 
the  manner  of  a  sermon ;  to  be  much  more  brief  than  sermons 
ordinarily  are;  to  take  special  pains  in  order  to  shun  every 
appearance  of  speaking  with  ministerial  authority,  and  to  impress 
upon  the  people  the  fact  that  you  are  one  of  them ;  and,  for 
this  end,  rather  to  address  them  from  some  other  spot  than  a 
pulpit  or  desk.  Sometimes  a  pointed  sermon  might  be  read 
with  good  advantage.  If  necessary,  the  people  might  be  told 
every  Sunday  that  you  are  not  a  minister;  but,  within  such 
limits  as  can  thus  be  easily  imposed,  I  see  no  danger,  and  some 
benefits  in  the  practice,  if  it  be  pursued  in  a  modest  and  pray- 
erful spirit.  I  think  that  I  have  noticed  in  some  of  the  young 
men  from  Alexandria,  a  facility  in  adapting  themselves  to  mis- 


152  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

sionary  labors  and  mixed  congregations,  which  has  partly  grown 
from  this  practice. 

I  thank  you  for  the  assurance  of  your  kind  remembrance  in 
your  constant  prayers.  This  stedfast  communion  will  bind  us 
together,  who  are  united  in  the  same  work  for  the  same  gracious 
Lord." 

"  Jan.  31st,  1850.  My  Dear  Sir:  I  rejoice  that  in  approach- 
ing nearer  to  your  entrance  on  the  Sacred  Ministry,  you  are 
filled  with  an  increasing  sense  of  the  responsibility  and  of  the 
privilege  of  so  high  a  calling.  It  is  needful  that  we  should 
begin  with  such  feelings,  which,  strengthened  and  preserved  by 
prayer,  and  Christian  and  pastoral  experience,  may  resist  all 
deadening  influence  of  future  familiarity  with  ministerial  duties ; 
an  influence  which  needs  the  counteraction  constantly  afforded 
by  very  high  and  solemn  remembrances  of  our  account.  At 
the  same  time,  remember  that  we  'serve  a  gracious  God;'  and 
that  there  can  be  no  happiness  on  earth  like  that  of  treading  in 
the  footsteps  of  Him  who  went  about  doing  good,  and  left  us  an 
example  of  love. 

Your  course  of  reading  has  been,  I  think,  very  judicious;  and, 
as  I  have  not  the  Alexandria  course  of  study  just  now  before 
me,  I  presume  that  it  contains  the  principal  books  which  I  should 
have  recommended.  If  you  have  not  read  Potter  on  Church 
Government,  I  should  think  it  desirable  to  add  it  to  your  list, 
as  well  as  Barrow  on  the  Papal  Supremacy,  Seeker  on  the  Church 
Catechism,  the  tract  of  Bishop  Griswold  on  the  Reformation, 
and  some  valuable  sermons  ;  amongst  which  I  would  name  those 
of  Sherlock,  Seeker,  Bishop  Horn,  Cunningham,  Heber, 
Hare,  John  Newton,  Milner,  Tillotson,  Newman,  Saurin,  Mas- 
sillon,  Robert  Hall,  Davies,  and  Bradley.  I  name  a  miscella- 
neous list,  because  I  think  it  well  to  read  two  or  three  from 
very  different  authors,  with  a  view  to  the  characteristic  traits  and 
merits  of  each,  so  that  your  own  sermons  may  be  assisted  in 
taking  form  and  character,  and  not  be  mere  accidents,  as  it 
were,  and  general  exhortations.  Bishop  Meade's  lectures  have 
appeared  to  me  exceedingly  adapted  to  be  useful ;  and  I  pre- 
sume that  you  are  acquainted  with  them ;  otherwise  I  would 
recommend  them  very  earnestly.  I  do  not,  however,  recom- 
mend any  of  these  books  Avith  reference  to  your  final  exami- 
nation ;  as  that  must  be  conducted  with  a  more  general  view  to 
the  whole  sum  of  your  studies  and  preparation,  except  so  far  as 
it  was  covered  by  the  first.  In  other  words,  it  must  be  divided 
into  two  examinations,  embracing  doctrinal  theology.  Church 
history  and  polity,  and  the  Prayer-book  and  Canons,  and  will 
not  turn  upon  particular  books,  but  rather  upon  subjects.     Let 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  CANDIDATES  FOR  ORDERS.     183 

me  desire  you  to  make  yourself  familiar  with  the  Constitution 
and  Canons  of  our  Church ;  and  if  in  the  Seminary  Library 
there  is  a  copy  of  Reeling's  Liturgise  Britannicse,  the  examina- 
tion of  it,  along  with  our  Prayer-book,  will  be  one  of  the  greatest 
aids  to  an  acquaintance  with  the  Liturgy. 

Without  pressing  you  too  hard,  I  would  yet  suggest  that  all 
the  practice  in  sermon-writing  which  you  can  acquire,  and  all 
the  sermons  which  you  can  lay  by,  will  relieve  you  so  much 
hereafter.  It  is  wise,  especially,  to  write  every  sermon  which 
you  do  write,  with  the  purpose  of  actually  preaching  it  to  a  con- 
gregation when  you  shall  have  been  admitted  to  the  ministry." 

For  the  fuller  illustration  of  the  subject  some  further  extracts 
from  his  correspondence  may  be  presented. 

Concerning  a  young  friend  in  whom  he  felt  a  deep  interest,  he 
gives  the  following  advice,  in  the  latter  part  of  which  an  opinion 
is  expressed  which  seems  particularly  valuable  for  persons  in  like 
circumstances. 

''  Some  little  time  since  I  had  some  conversation  with 

respecting  his  views  for  his  future  life,  and  was  glad  to  find  his 
mind  so  much  drawn  towards  the  ministry.  With  regard  to  his 
preparation  of  heart,  I  entertain  the  strongest  trust  that  he  would 
be  governed  by  the  supreme  wish  to  be  an  instrument  of  God  in 
the  salvation  of  the  souls  of  men  ;  but  he  must  make  it  the  sub- 
ject of  much  prayer  and  earnest  self-examination ;  and  then,  if 
the  path  seem  clear  before  him,  he  can  advance  with  a  cheerful 
heart,  assured  that,  whatever  be  the  trials  of  a  faithful  minister 
of  Christ,  he  will  always  rejoice  at  his  choice,  and  bless  God 
who  has  called  him  to  this  service. 

Whether  he  should  at  once  commence  his  course  of  study 
in  that  event  after  graduation,  or  delay  it  a  year,  I  should  be 
disposed  to  leave  very  much  to  his  own  decision,  according  to 
his  feelings.  He  will  be  twenty  when  he  leaves  college.  At 
twenty-three  he  could  enter  with  advantage  on  the  duties  of  the 
ministry;  and  I  should  not  discourage  him,  if  he  should  be  dis- 
posed to  commence  his  studies  without  delay. 

On  the  other  side,  should  he  pass  a  year  in  teaching  in  some 
such  position  as  would  refresh  his  former  acquisitions,  or  enlarge 
his  information,  or  should  be  engaged  in  any  other  duties  which 
would  have  a  similar  result,  the  time  and  experience  would  hardly 
be  less  valuable  to  him  than  a  year  of  study.  I  should  hardly 
recommend  a  year  of  mere  general,  miscellaneous  reading,  with- 
out other  employment.  Ifwould  not,  I  apprehend,  leave  him 
stronger  for  the  work  of  life.  I  should  judge  it  better,  supposing 
that  he  had  no  other  employment,  and  preferred  not  at  once  to 


1 84  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

devote  himself  to  the  study  of  divinity,  that  he  should  still  com- 
mence some  portions  of  it,  and  make  all  his  other  intellectual 
pursuits  work  in  as  subordinate  or  collateral  parts  of  a  system. 
I  shall  be  glad  to  render  him  any  assistance  which  may  be  in  my 
power ;  and  if  it  please  God  to  preserve  my  life,  hope  to  see  him 
one  day  an  acceptable  and  useful  clergyman." 

One  of  the  last  letters  he  ever  wrote,  addressed  to  one  who 
was  very  dear  to  him,  who  had  expressed  some  doubts  concern- 
ing his  call  to  the  ministry,  is  given  in  full.  It  is  worth  many  a 
long  treatise  on  the  requisite  preparation  for  becoming  a  Candi- 
date for  Holy  Orders. 

Port  au  Prince,  April  2d,  1866. 

"  After  all  which  has  passed  with  you,  I  can  but  say  at  once 
that  I  am  satisfied  to  advise  you  to  commence  your  studies  for 
the  ministry  and  consecrate  yourself  to  your  Saviour  in  His 
special  work.  After  your  self-examination,  and  solemn  prayers 
and  long  deliberation,  I  do  not  perceive  that  further  delay  would 
give  you  any  greater  assurance  of  the  rectitude  of  your  con- 
science, or  of  the  reasonable  prospect  of  your  usefulness.  If  it 
is  the  desire  of  your  heart  to  do  the  will  of  our  blessed  Redeemer, 
for  the  salvation  of  the  souls  of  men,  that  desire,  all  providential 
circumstances  concurring,  is  to  be  felt  as  the  motive  suggested 
by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

There  are  one  or  two  things,  however,  on  which  I  would  like 
to  have  you  reflect.  You  speak  a  little  as  if  it  were  a  simple 
question  between  living  to  the  world  and  living  to  God ;  and  you 
must  choose.  Now  if  your  religion  is  not  such  that  you  could 
carry  it  with  you  in  a  life  of  business,  I  should  fear  that  the  world 
would  follow  you  into  the  ministry.  Do  not  permit  this,  but 
seek  that  your  piety  may  be  of  that  deep,  uniform,  practical  kind 
which  adorns  the  ministry,  but  which  could  flourish  anywhere. 

It  is  also  well,  at  this  crisis  of  your  life,  to  go  over  and  over 
again,  a  great  many  times,  the  grounds  and  motives  of  your 
actions.  For  in  days  to  come  you  may  be  tempted  to  become 
self-indulgent,  or  ambitious,  or  slothful,  or  a  '  ritualist,'  or  a 
loose  thinker  in  theology.  I  wish  you  to  be  able  to  say,  '  For 
no  such  purpose  did  I  seek  Holy  Orders ;  and  having  begun  in 
the  Spirit,  I  will  not  now  bestow  my  peace,  hope,  honor,  and  con- 
science for  anything  which  can  allure  a  popular  but  heartless  clergy- 
man.    That  matter,  if  it  please  God,  was  settled  from  the  first.' 

I  need  not  write  at  much  length ;  for  I  hope  we  shall  see  you 
about  the  end  of  the  month.  We  expect  to  return,  Providence 
permitting,  by  the  Crusader." 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  CANDIDATES  FOR  ORDERS.     185 

Alas,  he  never  returned  alive  !  His  words  come  to  us  with 
the  greater  emphasis,  from  his  nearness  to  that  world  of  know- 
ledge, light,  and  love,  on  the  confines  of  which  he  stood,  to 
which  he  was  so  soon  to  be  admitted. 

The  two  preceding  letters  were  in  relation  to  a  time  just  be- 
fore the  commencement  of  theological  study.  Two  more  will 
now  be  added,  to  one  who  was  studying  in  the  General  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  He  was  receiving  aid  through  the  Bishop's 
kind  offices,  and  had  expressed  a  desire  to  relieve  himself  if 
possible,  of  the  obligation  he  was  thus  incurring.  The  Bishop 
gave  him  the  following  counsel,  with  a  wholesome  caution  against 
an  indiscretion  not  uncommon  with  the  better  class  of  students. 

"Dec  8,  1856.  It  does  not  seem  to  me  desirable  that  you 
should  incur  a  loan  instead  of  receiving  the  appropriation  of  our 
Board,  which  is  not  less  able  to  meet  it  than  before.  The  habit 
of  borrowing  is  one  so  easy  of  contraction,  and  future  necessities 
are  so  much  less  apparent  than  present  ones,  that,  though  I  much 
respect  the  motive  which  prompts  you  to  suggest  a  loan,  I  would 
much  rather  avoid  it  on  your  behalf.  Indeed,  had  I  been  at 
your  elbow,  I  should  certainly  have  said  that  '  rare  old  books 
of  English  Divinity'  were  a  luxury  which  I  would  not  have 
borrowed  money  from  any  friend  to  secure ;  unless  he  would  agree 
to  take  the  books  themselves,  if  necessary,  in  payment  hereafter. 
The  very  fact  that  a  book  is  rare  would  be  generally  a  proof 
that  it  was  not  important  to  a  young  clergyman,  and  the  taste 
for  that  kind  of  reading,  though  not  altogether  to  be  discouraged, 
yet  approaches  too  nearly  to  an  eccentricity,  to  be,  on  the  whole, 
worthy  of  much  and  expensive  cultivation." 

As  the  time  of  his  graduation  drew  near  the  Bishop  wrote  in  a 
letter  dated  June  15,  1857,  to  the  same  student : — 

"•  I  must  express  my  earnest  and  devout  hope,  that,  at  this 
great  point  of  your  life,  every  step  will  be  taken  by  you,  with 
thorough  examination  of  yourself,  and  with  the  entire  surrender 
of  your  heart  and  services  to  the  work  of  God  in  the  salvation 
of  souls.  Bring  into  the  ministry  no  other  spirit  than  that  of 
humility,  kindness,  diligence,  and  fidelity.  Literary  acquisitions 
have  their  high  value  ;  but  put  away  the  proud,  critical,  unchari- 
table spirit  which  often  attends  them  at  institutions  of  theologi- 
cal education.  I  know  no  motives  which  a  man  can  justly  believe 
to  constitute  'the  moving  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  take  upon  him 
this  office  and  ministration,'  apart  from  the  love  of  Christ,  and 
the  desire  to  be  instrumental  in  the  salvation  of  our  fellow  men. 


1 86  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

If  these  are  the  motives,  everything  else,  we  may  prayerfully  trust, 
will  find  its  place,  and  the  Christian  minister  will  not  begin  his 
labor  without  aiming  earnestly  at  the  harmonious  and  full  de- 
velopment in  himself  of  the  Christian  character." 

Not  all  the  Bishop's  candidates  for  orders  were  young  men 
studying  at  a  seminary  or  in  private.  There  were  others  who 
looked  for  a  guidance  bringing  into  requisition  all  his  consum- 
mate wisdom  and  prudence.  The  influence  of  the  Church  even  in 
so  feeble  a  diocese  as  Maine  extends  far  beyond  her  pale.  The 
Bishop's  letters  are  before  us,  to  a  Methodist  minister,  whom  the 
Prayer  Book  had  led  to  a  knowledge  and  love  of  the  Church, 
though  living  more  than  fifty  miles  distant  from  any  of  our  clergy. 
Some  extracts  are  made  from  the  more  important  of  the  earliest 
of  them,  as  they  are  of  some  interest  in  themselves,  and  still 
more  in  their  bearing  upon  the  subject. 

''  Dec.  14,  1859.     I  need  not  say  with  how  much  interest  I 

read  your  letter It  is  a  most  striking  order  of  events, 

that  without  any  practical  knowledge  of  the  Church,  you  should 
have  been  drawn  by  the  simple  perusal  of  the  Prayer  Book, 
which  Providence  threw  in  your  way,  to  full  satisfaction  with  the  . 
system,  of  which  it  is  the  standard  and  manual.  I  am  not  at  all 
surprised  that  the  Prayer  Book  should  win  your  heart;  it  rather 
surprises  me  that  any  who  know  it  should  not  prize  it,  next  to 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  Besides,  the  Methodist  body  retains 
by  hereditary  transmission  from  Wesley,  a  reverential  sentiment 
towards  the  ritual  and  organization  of  the  Church,  of  which  he 
was  a  minister,  and  to  which  he  always  declared  his  attachment, 
very  different  from  the  hostility  of  many  of  the  early  Puritans. 

I  earnestly  pray  that  you  may  now  and  henceforth  be  so 
guided  as  shall  be  for  your  own  best  comfort,  for  the  good  of 
the  Church  of  Christ,  and  for  the  welfare  and  salvation  of  souls. 

Your  wish  to  be  in  visible  communion  with  the  Episcopal 
Church  could,  of  course,  cause  no  difficulty  in  itself.  You  would 
be  welcome  to  its  communion  whenever  Providence  should 
afford  you  an  opportunity  to  be  there,  and  you  could  either 
before  or  after,  as  you  might  have  the  opportunity,  receive  the 
laying  on  of  hands  in  Confirmation. 

With  reference  to  your  position  as  a  minister,  while  I  exceed- 
ingly respect  the  feelings  which  you  express,  you  will  also  ap- 
preciate, I  am  sure,  the  necessity  under  which  I  stand,  of  obtain- 
ing information  on  various  points,  before  I  could  properly 
express  a  judgment  as  to  the  course  which  might  be  right  and 
expedient.     The  statements  of  your  feeling,  contained  in  your 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  CANDIDATES  FOR  ORDERS.     1S7 

letter,  do  not  permit  me  to  doubt  that  you  would  continue  to  do 
the  work  of  the  ministry  in  that  spirit  which,  as  to  that  first  of  all 
requisites,  the  heart  consecrated  to  Christ,  would  make  me  re- 
joice to  see  you  amongst  the  clergy  of  our  communion.  I  know 
nothing  beyond  your  own  communications,  and  the  delicacy  of 
your  position  makes  it  incumbent  upon  me  to  refrain  from  in- 
quiries in  those  quarters  in  which  alone  I  could  obtain  informa- 
tion otherwise  than  from  yourself,  with  regard  to  several  matters 
which  would  necessarily  demand  consideration.  Your  standing 
amongst  your  brethren ;  the  absence  of  any  complaint  against 
you;  your  age;  the  degree  of  your  education  and  attainments; 
your  qualities  as  a  preacher ;  the  number  of  your  family,  and 
their  disposition  with  reference  to  this  subject ;  your  own  pre- 
paration for  the  various  trials  and  inconveniences  which  would 
be  inseparable  from  a  change  in  your  ministerial  and  ecclesiasti- 
cal relations  ;  all  these  things  would  enter  into  the  questions, 
first  whether  you  could  comply  with  the  requisitions  of  our 
canons,  and  secondly  whether,  on  the  whole,  you  could  look 
forward  to  usefulness  in  our  ministry  in  such  a  degree  as  to  lead 
you  to  seek  admission  to  its  ranks.  I  do  not  intimate  a  doubt 
on  any  of  these  heads,  but  of  course  they  should  be  with  you  the 
subject  of  full  reflection,  and  I  should  be  glad  of  any  informa- 
tion, which  you  might  think  desirable,  to  assist  me  in  forming  an 
opinion. 

You  will  have  observed  in  the  Canons,  that  a  minister  of  any 
other  denomination  seeking  Orders  in  our  Church,  is  required  to 
pass  through  a  candidateship  of  six  months.  This  would  not  be 
more  than  sufficient  to  secure  to  you  a  degree  of  familiarity  with 
our  services,  with  the  practical  working  of  our  system,  and  with 
the  writings  of  a  few  of  our  great  teachers  in  Divinity,  and  it 
would  properly  be  spent  where  you  could  be  in  constant  attend- 
ance on  our  worship.  I  regret  much  that  you  are  so  far  from 
any  of  our  churches.  ...  It  will  gratify  me  much  to  hear  from 
you  again  very  speedily,  and,  in  the  meantime,  I  pray  that  the 
God  of  all  grace  will  direct  your  steps  in  all  things." 

In  the  next  letter  the  Bishop  writes: — 

''Jan.  25,  i860.  Were  you  thirty  years  younger,  I  should 
know  what  to  say,  but  it  is  too  late  to  commence  any  course  of 
systematic  study;  and,  though  our  Bishops  are  authorized  in 
certain  cases  to  dispense  with  the  usual  amount  of  academical 
learning,  they  are  obliged  to  require  '  ecclesiastical'  knowledge, 
and  also  in  such  cases,  testimonials  of  '  extraordinary  strength  of 
natural  understanding,  a  peculiar  aptitude  to  teach,  and  a  large 
share  of  prudence.'  This  relates  to  the  order  of  Priests.  A 
Deacon  may  be  ordained  with  qualifications  very  limited ;  but 


1 88  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

he  is  not  permitted  to  administer  the  Lord's  Supper,  nor  to 
have  the  full  charge  of  a  parish.  Six  months  must  in  any  event 
elapse  between  your  relinquishment  of  a  charge  among  the 
Methodists,  and  your  admission  to  Orders  in  our  Church. 
There  would  arise  the  question  whether  your  labors  would  meet 
with  acceptance  and  support.  In  this  State  we  have  few  con- 
gregations ;  and  it  is  very  possible  that  the  mode  of  preaching, 
and  the  general  habits  acquired  in  another  denomination,  might 
not  be  equally  adapted  to  influence  and  usefulness  amongst  us. 
If  you  could  still  labor  where  you  are,  or  with  just  such  congre- 
gations, having  the  orders  of  our  Church,  and  introducing 
amongst  them  our  Liturgy,  that  would  indeed  be  most  happy ; 
but  that  could  not  be  hoped.  We  could  doubtless  furnish  you 
with  employment  and  a  support,  but  I  could  not  guarantee  to 
you  that  it  should  be  as  agreeable  to  your  wishes  as  that  to 
which  you  have  been  accustomed.  The  change  would  be  very 
great ;  and  it  would  be  deplorable  should  you  ever  be  tempted 
to  look  back  with  regret. 

All  these  considerations  would  disappear,  my  dear  Sir,  as  I 
well  know,  before  certain  convictions  of  duty.  Whether  you 
have  or  will  have  such  convictions,  your  own  heart  will  deter- 
mine ;  but  it  is  not  for  me,  under  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the 
confidence  which  you  have  placed  in  me,  to  seek  to  know  you 
beyond  the  limits  which  you  may  have  assigned.  You  have  not 
intimated  to  me,  strong  as  are  your  feelings  of  preference  for  the 
Church,  and  of  reliance  on  its  claims,  that  you  could  not  with  a 
good  conscience  continue  to  exercise  your  ministry  as  you  are  ; 
and,  if  you  are  so  to  exercise  it,  I  have  no  disposition  to  dis- 
turb you  with  doubts  which  your  own  mind  does  not  suggest. 
It  has  sometimes  been  with  me  a  favorite  dream  that  perhaps 
the  Wesleyans,  as  those  who  have  least  departed  from  the  Church 
in  heart  or  doctrine,  might  be  the  first  to  consider  the  terms 
on  which  these  deplorable  breaches  amongst  Protestant  Christ- 
ians may  be  healed.  In  any  such  effort,  I  am  sure  that  your 
good  wishes  would  be  no  more  wanting  than  mine. 

Yout  confidence  has  been  faithfully  kept,  and  I  shall  be  glad 
to  hear  from  you  again  at  any  time." 

After  a  considerable  interval,  in  which  several  letters  passed, 
and  books  were  sent,  and  an  interview  was  obtained,  at  not  a 
little  expense  of  time  and  travel  to  the  Bishop,  another  letter 
gives  a  decisive  summary  of  the  whole  case. 

"  Oct.  26,  i860.  I  have  waited  long  before  replying  to  your 
last  letter;  and  you  may  have  some  cause  to  complain.  The 
truth  is  that  nothing  but  my  anxiety  to  act  rightly,  and  the  diffi- 


BISHOP  BURGESS  AND  CANDIDATES  FOR  ORDERS.     189 

culties  of  the  subject,  have  been  the  occasion  of  the  delay.  But 
it  is  time  that  you  should  receive  an  answer. 

Your  admission  to  Deacons'  Orders  in  the  Protestant  Episco- 
pal Church  would  occasion  no  embarrassment,  so  far  as  I  can 
see,  after  a  candidateship  of  six  months.  Before  the  commence- 
ment of  the  candidateship,  however,  it  will  be  necessary  for  you 
to  discontinue  your  present  pastoral  connection,  and  the  exer- 
cise of  ministerial  functions.  It  will  also  be  necessary  in  that 
case  to  present  certain  testimonials  described  in  the  Canons.  .  . 
These  could  doubtless  be  procured  with  ease,  so  soon  as  you 
should  have  had  opportunity  to  become  acquainted  with  any 
of  our  clergy.  Could  you  leave  your  present  residence,  and 
remain  for  some  time  in  the  vicinity  of  some  of  them?  I  pre- 
sume that  some  provision  for  your  support  during  that  time, 
might  be  required  and  could  be  made. 

After  being  admitted  to  Deacons'  Orders,  you  would  remain 
a  year,  unless  it  should  seem  especially  expedient  to  shorten  the 
time,  before  you  could  take  Priests'  Orders;  and  then,  as  your 
preparatory  studies  would  not  have  embraced  all  that  is  com- 
monly required,  a  testimonial  would  be  necessary  from  two 
Presbyters,  stating  that,  in  their  opinion,  you  possess  '  extraor- 
dinary strength  of  natural  understanding,  &c.'  This  is  on  the 
supposition  that  you  are  not  able  to  read  the  New  Testament  in 
the  original  Greek.  I  apprehend  that  you  might  thus  look  for- 
ward  to  the  Order  of  Priests ;  but  it  would  be  wrong  to  hold  out 
any  assurance  which  might  possibly  be  disappointed. 

Were  you  once  in  Orders  in  the  Church,  the  question  would 
arise  which  gives  me  most  anxiety.  Our  parishes  in  this  Diocese 
are  few ;  and  the  propensity  to  prefer  younger  men  as  ministers 
is  but  too  common,  and,  besides  this,  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  at  your  time  of  life  it  would  be  perfectly  easy  to  adapt 
yourself  in  a  moment  to  different  usages  from  those  to  which 
you  have  been  accustomed.  The  practical  question,  therefore, 
is,  whether  it  could  be  reasonably  hoped  that  you  might  be  pro- 
vided with  a  parochial  charge,  affording  an  adequate  support 
and  a  sphere  of  usefulness.  I  wish  I  were  more  sure  than  I  am ; 
and  I  desire  that  you  would  look  at  that  portion  of  the  subject 
in  such  a  manner  that,  should  you  make  the  change,  and  should 
it  prove  unfavorable  to  your  worldly  interests,  or  require  of  you 
less  inviting  labors  than  have  before  been  your  lot,  you  might 
not  feel  that  you  had  not  counted  the  cost. 

If,  however,  you  are  willing  to  trust  yourself  to  the  good 
Providence  of  God,  and  think  that  even  though  by  ill  health 
or  otherwise,  you  were  separated  from  ministerial  labors  of  a 
remunerating  character,  you  could  still  obtain  bread  and  rejoice 
in  the  Lord,  I  shall  not  suggest  this  as  an  obstacle. 


ipo  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

There  may  be  places  where  your  previous  acquaintance  with 
those  who  are  unacquainted  with  our  Church,  might  help  you  to 
introduce  its  services ;  and  an  honorable  and  useful  career  might 
open  itself  to  you  in  the  remainder  of  your  active  labors.  I 
hope  and  trust  that  you  will  always  find  joy  and  success  in 
preaching  the  one  Gospel  of  our  LoM  and  Saviour. 

I  have  now  placed  the  whole  subject  before  you,  and  must 
leave  it  to  your  determination,  under  the  direction  of  the  God 
of  grace,  whose  blessing  I  humbly  ask  for  you  in  all  things. 

Of  your  desire  for  Confirmation,  I  have  not  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  speak  at  this  time,  because,  should  you  become  a  Canon- 
ical Candidate  for  our  Ministry,  that  would  follow  of  course. 
Otherwise,  I  am  not  yet  quite  sure,  in  your  present  position." 

Some  time  after,  writing  to  the  same,  the  Bishop  says : — 

"It  is  possible  that  my  former  letters  may  have  left  upon 
your  mind  some  rather  discouraging  impressions  which  I  did 
not  intend,  while  I  was  careful  not  to  suggest  any  prospect 
beyond  the  truth." 

It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  this  honest  and  fair  dealing,  so  deli- 
cate, so  pains-taking  and  conscientious,  had  its  good  effect,  and 
that  the  good  brother,  having  studied  theology  under  the  Bishop's 
direction,  found  a  sphere  of  usefulness  as  a  Priest  in  a  rural 
parish,  not,  however,  till  he  had  faithfully  sought,  though  with- 
out large  success,  to  present  the  Gospel  in  the  Church  to  his 
brethren  of  his  former  connection. 

Such  were  the  Bishop's  relations  to  his  candidates  for 
Holy  Orders.  He  ever  treated  them  with  paternal  kindness. 
Never  did  he  suffer  them  to  feel  that  their  progress  was  lost 
sight  of.  He  watched  their  course  with  kindly  care;  both 
stimulating  and  guiding  their  studies  with  such  judicious  counsel 
as  few  men  could  so  well  impart.  His  purse  was  ever  open  to 
minister  to  their  necessities.  He  presented  a  gown  to  each 
before  his  ordination  if  he  was  not  able  to  procure  one. 
Among  his  papers  were  found  a  number  of  "notes"  for  various 
sums,  all  marked  "not  to  be  called  for,"  or  "not  to  be  col- 
lected." None  of  his  candidates  ever  doubted  that  they  could 
give  him  their  confidence,  and  trust  him  fully  as  their  spiritual 
father,  and  rely  implicitly  on  his  friendship  and  assistance.  No 
bishop  could  ever  have  had  clergy  more  devoted  in  their  attach- 


LETTERS  TO  A  CANDIDATE  FOR  ORDERS.  191 

ment,  more  ardent  in  their  love,  more  profound  in  their  respect 
and  admiration,  than  those  who,  through  him,  had  obtained 
their  "passage  into  the  ministry." 


XXIX. 

LETTERS  TO  A  CANDIDATE  FOR  ORDERS. 

The  two  letters  following  belong  to  the  subject  of  the  last 
section.  They  were  written  before  Dr.  Burgess  had  the  interest 
of  a  Bishop  in  those  preparing  for  the  ministry.  The  opening 
paragraph  of  the  first  letter  illustrates  a  habit  of  his  life,  to  be 
always  liberal  by  gifts,  and  by  loans  that  often  became  gifts,  to 
aid  those  anxious  to  become  ministers  or  already  ordained.  The 
remainder  of  the  letters  shows  how  pains-taking  were  his  endea- 
vors to  save  young  men,  students  of  theology,  from  errors  of 
doctrine  and  practice. 

While  the  Bishop  here  earnestly,  not  one-sidedly,  combated 
the  ritualistic  tendencies  of  his  young  friend,  it  is  scarcely  needful 
to  remind  the  careful  reader  of  this  memoir  that  he  elsewhere 
quite  as  strongly  drives  away  the  errors  of  latitudinarianism  and 
of  disregard  of  the  authority  and  customs  of  the  Church. 

Hartford,  Feb.  nth,  18 — . 

"  My  dear  Friend  :  I  send  you  only  half  of  the  sum  you 
mention,  for  no  other  reason  than  that  at  this  moment,  through 
a  rather  unusual  combination  of  circumstances,  I  cannot  spare  the 
whole ;  but  this  portion  I  can  spare  with  entire  ease,  so  that  you 
must  not  be  in  the  least  disquieted.  It  will  be  also  in  my  power 
to  advance  you  the  other  half,  some  six  or  seven  weeks  hence, 
if  that  will  be  early  enough ;  but  it  occurs  to  me  that  if  you  make 
this  payable  in  October,  and  so  have  nothing  to  repay  in  April  or 
July,  it  may  amount  to  nearly  the  same  thing,  because  you  will 
then  use  your  own  money  for  your  expenses.  I  will  do  just  as 
is  most  convenient  for  you.  The  following  is  the  proper  form 
for  a  receipt  or  note:  'New  York,  Feb.  13,  18 — .  For  value 
received,  I  promise  to  pay  George  Burgess,  or  order,  eight 
months  after  date,  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars.' 

Having  thus  disposed  first  of  the  last  part  of  your  letter,  I  will 
now  return  to  the  beginning.     Your  reviews  will  undoubtedly 


192  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

be  found  Interesting  and  particularly  advantageous.  It  has  long 
seemed  to  me  a  singular  thing  that  the  views  of  Bishop  White, 
however  correct  in  the  main,  should  be  made  a  class-book,  or 
that  so  much  attention  should  be  given  to  a  point  which,  after 
all,  the  Church  has  left  open.  I  shall  not  repeat  what  I  have 
said  to  you  before,  of  the  strength  of  your  expressions  with  regard 
to  the  uncertainty  in  which  you  were,  and  the  confidence  which 
you  now  possess.  In  all  questions  of  degree,  everything,  of 
course,  depends  on  the  manner  in  which  language  is  employed. 
You  are  comparatively  uncertain ;  you  are  comparatively  cer- 
tain \  and  your  expressions  compel  me  to  suppose  that  the  effect 
on  your  own  consciousness  is  very  decided.  But  the  more  de- 
cided it  is,  the  greater  becomes  the  possible  danger  of  error. 
For,  undoubtedly,  the  doctrine  of  the  Church  is  a  ground  of 
confidence,  and  demands  great  reverence.  Undoubtedly,  it  is 
sufficient  for  encouragement  and  guidance,  especially,  perhaps, 
before  other  grounds  can  be  thoroughly  examined.  All  which 
you  say  of  the  Church  is,  in  some  sense  and  to  some  degree, 
true ;  in  an  important  sense  and  to  an  important  degree ;  and 
yet  there  is  a  broader  sense  and  a  farther  degree,  in  which  it  would 
be  a  perversion  of  truth.  Hence,  the  importance  of  knowing 
precisely  the  force  which  is  designed  to  be  given  to  language. 
You  may  suppose  that  I  mean  to  assail  all  Church  authority, 
when  I  would  only  oppose  the  worship  of  an  idol  of  the  imagi- 
nation. I  may  suppose  that  you  substitute  the  Church  for  the 
Gospel  and  the  Saviour,  when  you  mean  only  the  Gospel  and 
the  Saviour,  as  they  are  set  forth  by  the  Church. 

If,  my  dear  friend,  by  '  throwing  yourself  into  the  system  of 
the  Church,'  which  is  'the  power  of  God  in  the  world,'  you 
mean  that,  being  satisfied  that  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
teaches  only  in  accordance  with  the  will  and  word  of  God,  and 
that  its  institutions,  so  far  as  they  are  not  directly  commanded  by 
Him,  are  excellently  adapted  under  His  guidance,  to  their  holy 
ends,  you  have  great  delight  in  the  thought  of  exercising  the 
Christian  ministry  within  that  Church,  where  your  lot  is  happily 
cast,  and  are  determined  to  yield  an  honest  obedience  to  its  laws 
and  canons,  I  am  entirely  of  the  same  mind  ;  and  God  forbid 
that  you  should  feel  or  do  otherwise.  But  if  you  mean  that  the 
great  object  of  your  ministry  is  to  be,  not  to  do  directly  the  will 
and  obey  the  words  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  to  observe 
whatever  you  imagine  to  have  been  the  practice  of  the  Church, 
Protestant,  Primitive,  or  Catholic ;  if  you  mean  that,  instead  of 
studying  directly  to  promote  the  salvation  of  men  through  their 
renewal  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  you  are  only  to  bring  them  to  the 
sacraments ;  that  instead  of  preaching  repentance,  Christ  cruci- 
fied, the  remission  of  sins,  justification  by  faith,  and  the  neces- 


LETTERS  TO  A  CANDIDATE  EOR  ORDERS.  193 

sity  of  holiness,  you  are  to  make  it  your  great  end  to  carry  out 
an  outward  system,  to  fulfil  rubrics  to  the  utmost  letter,  to  be 
righteous  overmuch  in  all  forms ;  then,  be  assured,  you  are  mis- 
taken. You  belong  to  a  Church  which  claims  for  its  outward 
system,  beyond  the  sacraments,  the  word,  the  ministry,  and 
prayer,  only  a  reasonable  deference  and  upright  obedience  ;  but 
which  has  always  most  carefully  distinguished  between  what  is 
divine  and  what  is  human  in  its  institutions.  It  will  not  have 
your  blind  submission.  It  will  not  place  itself  between  you  and 
the  word  of  your  Saviour;  but  binds  you  to  teach  nothing  as 
necessary  to  salvation,  which  you  cannot  prove  from  His  word. 
And,  as  a  minister  of  Christ,  you  would  be  very  erroneously 
employed,  if  your  great  efforts  were  directed  to  teaching  any- 
thing which  is  not  necessary  to  salvation.  Some  of  your  expres- 
sions seem  to  me  to  import  a  reliance  on  the  Church,  and  a  fear 
of  relying  on  the  plain  meaning  of  the  word  of  God,  which,  I  am 
sure,  is  entirely  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  our  ecclesiastical  system. 
Should  you  appeal  from  our  Church  to  the  Church  Catholic, 
that  is,  to  the  majority,  I  carry  the  appeal  still  farther ;  to  the 
word,  by  which  that  Church  must  be  tried,  as  well  as  every  one 
of  its  members,  in  the  day  of  judgment. 

The  true  system  of  the  Church  is  to  promote  the  kingdom  of 
God  ;  and  '  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  meat  and  drink,  but 
righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.'  I  fear 
that  this  may  be  too  little  represented  at  the  Seminary,  while  a 
kind  of  '  righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees'  is  too  much 
cultivated.  What  can  it  possibly  matter,  my  dear  friend,  so  long 
as  decency  and  reverence  are  observed,  that  the  body  should  be 
bent  in  one  manner  rather  than  another,  at  the  name  of  our 
Saviour ;  that  we  should  kneel  with  or  without  a  support ;  that 
we  should  look  towards  the  communion  table  or  away  from  it ; 
that  we  should  wear  a  rolling  collar  or  a  straight  one  ?  Or,  even 
in  higher  things,  was  not  the  true  system  of  the  Jewish  Church 
the  observance  of  the  law  of  Moses,  and  was  it  not  greatly  mis- 
taken in  the  practice  of  the  Pharisees  ?  And  is  not  the  true  sys- 
tem of  the  Christian  Church  the  observance  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  and  may  not  this  also  be  greatly  mistaken,  so  that  if  the 
Lord  Himself  were  as  once  on  earth,  He  would  again  be  con- 
demned as  '  a  gluttonous  man  and  a  winebibber,  a  friend  of  pub- 
licans and  sinners,'  a  'Samaritan,'  a  latitudinarian,  a  friend  of 
schismatics  and  dissenters?  Depend  upon  it,  there  is  such  a 
spirit,  and  there  may  be  even  such  delusion. 

I  see  no  reason  why  your  ordination  may  not  take  place  at  the 
time  you  propose.     Under  the  circumstances  of  the  times,  you 
must  expect  that  the  examinations  on  the  points  in  which  our 
13 


T94  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Church  disclaims  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  such  as 
the  sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures,  the  infallibility  of  councils,  and 
the  doctrine  of  the  eucharist,  may  be  somewhat  more  close  than 
has  been  usual.  Under  the  same  circumstances,  do  not  think  me 
suspicious  if  I  express  the  hope  and  trust  that  all  of  you  will  be 
prepared  to  return  distinct  and  discriminating  answers,  with  sim- 
plicity and  with  cordiality.  In  the  meantmie,  I  pray  that  God 
may  send  upon  you  '  the  spirit  of  love,  and  of  power,  and  of  a 
sound  mind,'  and  prepare  you  to  be  able  ministers  of  the  New 
Testament. 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

George  Burgess." 

Hartford,  March  5,  18 — . 

"  My  dear  Friend  :  At  so  very  important  a  point  in  your  course 
as  the  present,  you  will  pardon  me  if  I  should  burden  you  with 
too  many  letters ;  and  I  will  not  be  unreasonable,  knowing  your 
many  tasks,  in  exacting  answers.  Your  last  letter,  upon  the 
whole,  afforded  me  gratification  ;  as  it  seemed  to  reduce  the 
matters  which  you  had  deemed  so  momentous  to  a  greater  sim- 
plicity, and  they,  after  all,  were  so  little,  if  placed  in  their  proper 
position.  They  have  undoubtedly  grown  in  your  mind  to  a 
disproportionate  magnitude ;  but  I  trust  that  time  and  experience 
will  effect  in  your  views,  if  previous  reflection  does  not,  a  more 
just  symmetry  between  what  is  greater  and  what  is  less,  the  exter- 
nal and  the  internal.  Still  I  wish  to  bring  before  you  as  distinctly 
as  I  can,  the  points  in  which  I  think  that  this  disproportion  per- 
verts or  lowers  your  conceptions  of  the  aim,  the  functions  and 
the  enjoyments  of  the  Christian  ministry. 

The  doctrines  of  the  ancient  creeds  are  as  much  honored  in 
my  heart,  and  as  safe  in  my  hands,  as  in  yours.  You  will  not 
and  cannot  suppose  that  the  sacraments  would  be  held  in  such 
esteem  by  any  minister  of  our  Church,  that  he  would  not  gladly 
bring  to  them  any  fit  candidate.  I  suppose,  therefore,  that  on 
these  points  I  enter  into  the  system  of  the  Church  as  truly  as  any 
one  who  proceeds  upon  your  principles;  and  I  beg  you,  therefore, 
to  set  them  aside  from  our  present  consideration,  and  to  believe 
that  when  you  would  most  earnestly  enforce  the  reception  of 
those  doctrines  or  of  those  sacraments,  you  have  not  gone  beyond 
my  wishes.     Wherein  then  do  we  differ? 

I  can  scarcely  state  specific  propositions :  for  you  would  not 
question  a  single  assertion  of  the  Scriptures,  nor,  I  presume,  of 
the  Articles.  It  is  in  the  tone,  the  temper,  the  proportion.  I 
cannot  describe  it  better  than  by  appealing  to  your  feelings  and 
my  own.     When  we  read  some  of  the  Fathers  and  some  of  the 


LETTERS  TO  A  CANDIDATE  FOR  ORDERS.  195 

modern  divines,  too,  and  compare  our  sensations,  the  general 
state  of  mind  created,  with  those  with  which  we  have  risen  from 
the  perusal  of  the  Scriptures  themselves,  apart  from  the  authority 
of  the  latter,  we  are  conscious  of  a  difference.  Yet  the  writer 
was  pious,  instructive,  pure  ;  but  he  had  not  the  glow,  the  free- 
dom, the  manliness,  the  depth,  the  glory  of  the  Apostle.  It  was 
like  coming  from  the  broad  blessed  light  of  the  sun  shining  in  the 
bright  vast  heavens,  and  pouring  beauty  over  all  created  things, 
into  the  '  dim,  religious  light'  of  a  cloister,  all  ornamented  with 
architectural  work  of  exquisite  skill,  but  narrow,  sombre,  and 
only  symbolical,  not  real.  I  would  plainly  ask  you,  do  you  in 
your  conscience  think  that  St.  Paul  in  his  Epistles  has  in  view  a 
system  of  Christian  action  and  Christian  views  like  that  which 
you  prescribe  to  yourself? 

But  here  I  am  met  by  the  root  of  all.  You  refuse  the  appeal 
to  the  Scriptures.  You  do  not  hold,  allow  me  to  say  it  with 
tenderness,  yet  as  a  solemn  truth,  applicable  not  to  you  only, 
but  to  many  others  at  this  day,  you  do  not  hold  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures in  that  reverence  in  which  I  hold  them.  I  know  your  reply, 
perhaps  horror  struck,  perhaps  indignant.  Yet,  my  dear  friend, 
so  it  is.  I  am  not  speaking,  you  will  bear  in  mind,  of  little 
children  yet  at  their  catechism.  I  am  not  speaking  of  very 
ignorant  persons,  who  are  unable  to  search  the  Scriptures.  I  am 
speaking  of  Candidates  for  Orders,  and  of  clergymen  ;  of  intelli- 
gent, educated  persons  ;  of  persons  trained  for  this  very  purpose, 
that  they  might  know,  understand,  interpret,  and  enforce  the 
word  of  God  ;  and  of  such,  when  they  profess  that  they  do  not 
deem  themselves  able  to  discover  the  meaning  of  the  Scriptures 
on  the  greatest  of  truths,  the  very  truths  which  they  were  written 
to  promulgate,  till  they  have  ascertained  the  judgment  of  the 
Church,  or  what  they  choose  to  term  the  Church,  I  can  only  say 
that  I  have  a  reverence  for  the  Scriptures  which  is  inconsistent 
with  such  a  proceeding.  They  seem  to  me  to  treat  the  Scriptures 
as  if  really  they  had  no  fixed  meaning.  Where  a  clearer  doctrine 
is  to  be  found,  I  know  not ;  but  they  seem  to  suppose  that  Apos- 
tles and  Evangelists  did  not  intend  to  express  themselves  so  as 
to  be  understood.  For,  otherwise,  it  would  be  profane  in  the 
extreme  to  suppose  that  they  did  not  succeed.  The  result  corre- 
sponds with  this  want  of  reverence.  Why  are  you  unwilling  to 
appeal  to  the  Scriptures,  even  with  a  caviller,  if  you  are  not  afraid 
of  the  appeal ;  if  you  have  not  adopted  something  which  you  fear 
is  less  certain  from  the  Scriptures  than  from  what  you  name  the 
teaching  of  the  Church? 

But  the  truth  is,  too,  as  I  fear,  that  the  reverence  manifested 
for  the  Church  is  almost  as  delusive.     To  take  an  illustration, 


196  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

my  dear  friend,  from  your  own  letter.  You  speak  of  the  Church 
to  which  you  belong  as  having  appointed  daily  Common 
Prayer  ;  and  therefore  esteem  it  a  part  of  your  duty  to  maintain 
it.  Now  in  this,  it  is  perfectly  evident  that  you  are  not  at  all 
obeying  the  Church  to  which  you  belong,  but  simply  your  own 
choice.  The  Church  has  certainly  appointed  no  such  thing. 
There  is  no  such  canon  or  rubric  ;  there  has  never  been  any  such 
custom  in  our  Church  ;  scarcely  half  a  dozen  clergymen  do  it ; 
and  an  obsolete  rubric  of  the  English  Prayer  Book  is  all  your 
authority  for  such  an  assertion.  But  you  are  gratified  with  the 
custom.  You  think  that  it  would  have  the  happiest  effects.  You 
believe  it  beneficial  to  the  hearts  of  all.  You  wish  to  adopt  it ; 
and  you  are  at  liberty  to  adopt  it ;  but  it  is  not  true  reverence  to 
call  this  an  appointment  of  the  Church,  and  reproach  almost 
every  man  amongst  its  clergy  with  a  neglect  of  such  an  appoint- 
ment. This,  then,  is  my  view  of  the  whole  matter  of  this  exces- 
sive, ritual  spirit.  It  does  not  at  all  spring  from  respect  for  the 
decisions  of  the  Church,  but  is  purely  the  result  of  inclination. 
In  some,  it  is  a  love  of  ceremonies ;  in  others,  a  repugnance  to  a 
more  inward  religion  ;  in  others,  a  thing  of  party  ;  in  others,  a 
poetic  fancy  ;  in  others  a  love  of  antiquity,  as  such  ;  in  others,  a 
fondness  for  novelty ;  in  others,  a  very  pitiable  wish  to  distin- 
guish themselves ;  in  others,  a  mere  matter  of  taste ;  in  you,  as 
far  as  it  goes  in  you,  a  desire  for  mental  repose,  which  persuades 
you  to  lean  too  much  upon  any  aid  that  offers  itself,  rather  than 
to  meet  the  conflict  of  theological  discussion.  The  actual  system 
of  our  Church  as  it  stands  in  the  liturgy  and  articles,  and  has 
been  illustrated  by  the  doctrines  of  its  great  divines,  and  the 
practice  of  its  best  members  for  three  centuries,  is  quite  fatal  to 
such  a  spirit. 

I  am  not  anxious  to  win  you  from  the  habit  of  submission 
which  you  love  to  cultivate  ;  but  I  would  direct  it  to  its  true 
objects.  And  I  would  only  beseech  you  to  ask  yourself,  when 
you  are  reflecting  upon  these  subjects,  whether,  in  the  urgency 
with  which  you  dwell  on  outward  observances,  you  are  actually 
submitting  yourself  to  the  will  and  authority  of  your  Lord,  and 
the  real  requisition  of  the  Church  to  which  you  belong,  or  to 
something  beside? 

You  may  possibly  ask,  '  what  would  I  have  ?'  I  would  have, 
besides  the  performance  of  public  prayers  and  the  administration 
and  reception  of  the  sacraments,  private  communion  with  God, 
study  of  His  word,  holiness  of  heart,  diligence  in  all  relative 
duties,  real  solicitude  for  the  salvation  of  others,  a  willingness  to 
become  all  things  to  all  men  for  this  end,  charity  towards  'the 
blessed  company  of  all  faithful  people,'  whether  within  or  with- 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  197 

out  our  portion  of  the  Catholic  Church,  cultivation  of  all  things 
wherein  there  is  any  virtue  or  praise  ;  and  before  all  a  simple  and 
entire  reliance  upon  the  redeeming  sacrifice  of  our  Lord,  and  a 
determination  to  '  preach  the  Gospel'  and  to  know  nothing  as 
the  Gospel  except  '  Christ,  and  Him  crucified.' 
Believe  me,  ever,  your  affectionate  friend, 

George  Burgess." 


XXX. 

THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS. 

The  contribution  following  is  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  Edward 
Jessup,  for  some  years  a  beloved  Presbyter  of  the  Diocese  of 
Maine,  now  Rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer,  Brooklyn, 
Long  Island. 

If  it  were  required  to  define  the  point  at  which  more  than  at 
any  other  our  Bishop  adorned  his  office,  that  point  would  be 
found  to  centre  in  his  personal  relations  towards  the  clergy 
whose  lot  and  privilege  it  was  to  labor  under  his  faithful  over- 
sight. He  was  eminent  indeed  in  many  other  respects  in  which 
his  eminence  was  widely  recognized.  His  extensive  scholar- 
ship, his  varied  culture,  his  refined  poetic  taste,  his  wisdom  as 
one  of  the  counsellors  of  the  Church,  his  deep  and  unaffected 
piety,  his  rare  meekness,  his  habitual  self-poise,  all  contributed 
to  win  for  him  a  place  among  the  most  honored  of  his  brethren 
of  the  Episcopate.  Of  his  fame  in  the  walks  of  literature  and  as 
one  of  the  fathers  in  the  Church,  his  clergy  always  cherished  a 
pardonable  pride.  Whenever  they  had  occasion  to  announce 
their  relationship  to  him,  they  found  that  his  name  was  an  hon- 
ored one  in  all  portions  of  our  communion.  It  was  a  sufficient 
passport  to  all  the  best  circles,  existing  within  the  Church,  to  be 
introduced  as  belonging  to  Bishop  Burgess.  But  to  them  were 
far  broader  grounds  of  veneration  and  affection  towards  him 
than  any  of  those  on  which  rested  his  general  reputation.  At- 
tractive and  imposing  as  his  character  appeared  to  those  who 
viewed  it  from  a  distance,  few  men  could  gain  so  much  from 


198  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

that  closer  inspection  to  which  a  bishop  is  of  necessity  subjected 
in  his  intercourse  with  the  clergy  laboring  under  his  supervision. 
Here,  at  least,  if  there  are  weaknesses  they  cannot  fail  to  be  ap- 
parent, and  here  the  absence  of  weakness  argues  the  presence 
of  an  uncommon  strength.  Hence,  in  order  to  know  Bishop 
Burgess  thoroughly,  and  to  appreciate  to  their  utmost  his  rare 
qualifications  for  the  position  which  he  was  called  of  God  to  fill, 
it  is  necessary  to  contemplate  him  in  his  bearing  as  a  chief 
pastor  towards  the  under  shepherds  of  his  flock.  His  was  no 
mere  perfunctory  discharge  of  the  duties  of  episcopal  oversight. 
There  was  in  his  attitude  towards  his  clergy  no  trace  of  the 
manners  of  a  feudal  Bishop;  nor  could  the  most  prejudiced 
opponent  of  prelacy  ever  have  charged  upon  him  a  disposition 
to  "lord  it  over  God's  heritage."  He  felt  profoundly,  it  is 
true,  the  grave  responsibility  attaching  to  that  higher  order  of 
the  ministry  which  had  been  committed  to  his  hands.  Nor  did 
he  ever  lose  sight  of  what  was  due  from  him  as  an  ensample  to 
those  who  under  him  were  intrusted  with  the  care  of  Christ's 
flock.  In  his  most  familiar  intercourse  with  them,  they  felt  that 
his  was  the  position  of  a  father  and  theirs  that  of  sons.  Yet, 
with  all  this  paternal  dignity  on  his  part,  there  was  blended  a 
certain  brotherliness  of  manner,  so  to  speak,  which  served  to 
temper  any  undue  feelings  of  restraint  that  otherwise  might  have 
existed.  He  placed  himself  upon  the  level  of  their  sympathies 
as  one  who  entered  fully  into  the  comprehension  of  all  priestly 
cares  and  trials.  His  clergy  never  were  permitted  to  feel  that 
his  elevation  to  "the  superior  office  and  administration"  had  in  any 
wise  alienated  him  from  the  duties  falling  to  those  who  stood  in 
the  inferior  degrees.  On  the  contrary,  the  instincts  of  the 
priesthood  were  as  fresh  and  strong  in  him  as  though  to  his 
position  there  had  been  no  superadded  dignity.  This  doubt- 
less may  be  explained  in  part  by  his  possession  in  a  high  degree 
of  those  pastoral  tastes  which  are  especially  associated  with  the 
office  of  the  priesthood.  His  nature  was  eminently  in  harmony 
with  the  line  of  life  allotted  to  the  parish  minister.  He  loved 
the  position  and  the  work  of  such  a  life,  and  would  gladly  have 
spent  his  days  in  discharging  the  duties  of  its  restricted    round. 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  199 

Then  again  this  taste  and  sympathy  for  the  pastoral  vocation 
had  been  kept  alive  by  the  necessity  which  compelled  him,  in 
connection  with  the  labors  of  his  Episcopate,  to  hold  the  rector- 
ship of  a  parish.  In  the  poverty  of  his  Diocese  such  an  arrange- 
ment seemed  inevitable,  but  to  him  it  was  most  welcome.  It 
was  this  which,  perhaps,  more  than  anything  else,  had  reconciled 
him  to  the  painful  sundering  of  those  ties  that  bound  him  to  the 
parish  he  was  called  to  leave  when  Maine  chose  him  for  her 
Bishop.  It  used  indeed  to  seem  a  pity  that  so  valuable  a  life 
should  be  so  largely  consumed  with  the  petty  details  involved 
in  the  care  of  a  country  congregation ;  details  in  attending  to 
which  from  the  first  till,  in  the  last  year,  his  health  had  given 
way,  he  had  no  clerical  assistant.  It  was  often  painful  to  wit- 
ness the  distractions  to  which  he  was  subjected  by  duties  which 
any  deacon  might  properly  have  discharged.  As,  for  example, 
when,  on  one  occasion  well  remembered  by  the  writer,  who 
chanced  at  the  time  to  be  his  guest,  the  death  of  a  laborer's 
infant  took  him  a  mile  from  home  to  administer  consolation  and 
to  arrange  for  the  burial.  The  following  day  again  a  still  larger 
amount  of  time  had  to  be  devoted  to  attending  the  funeral  of 
the  little  one.  So  deeply  was  the  writer  impressed  by  "this 
waste"  that  he  could  not  refrain  from  expressing  to  the  Bishop 
his  regrets  at  seeing  him  thus  hampered.  The  reply  was  that 
"he  would  not  have  it  otherwise  if  he  could;  and  that  indeed 
it  was  the  prospect  of  being  permitted  to  pass  his  days  in  these 
parochial  labors  that  had  originally  reconciled  him  to  the 
thought  of  becoming  a  bishop."  Whatever  may  be  said  against 
an  arrangement  of  this  nature,  it  has  no  doubt  the  advantage  of 
supplying  a  common  tie  between  a  bishop  and  his  parochial 
clergy.  This  community  of  interest  and  of  experience  with 
their  Bishop,  was  always  felt  by  the  clergy  laboring  in  Maine,  and 
the  more  so  that  his  parish  was  not,  in  its  essential  features, 
widely  different  from  the  parishes  of  which  most  of  them  were 
in  charge.  The  peculiar  drawbacks  to  successful  effort  in  behalf 
of  church  principles  and  usages,  had  to  be  encountered  experi- 
mentally by  him  as  well  as  by  themselves.  Both  he  and  they 
were  surrounded  by  the  same  atmosphere  of  religious  j^rejudice. 


200  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

and  were  hedged  in  by  the  same  deeply-rooted  antipathies  of 
religious  doctrine.  He  knew  how  hard  it  was  to  overcome  the 
antagonisms  of  opinion  prevailing  in  an  unfriendly  soil,  and 
could  enter  into  the  discouragements  of  those  who  with  him 
were  struggling  against  the  tide.  Hence  he  threw  his  whole 
heart  into  the  trials  and  labors  of  his  clergy.  He  watched  their 
course  with  the  eye  of  active  fraternal  interest.  Whatever  was 
encouraging  in  their  work  he  observed  and  pointed  out  with 
words  of  kindly  cheer,  and  his  indomitable  patience  supported 
them  when  they  were  tempted  to  despondency.  No  one  could 
read  the  loving,  considerate  letters  which,  with  surprising  fre- 
quency, he  sent  forth  to  his  fellow-laborers  at  their  several  posts, 
without  being  convinced  of  his  profound  and  tender  interest  in 
all  that  concerned  both  them  and  the  flocks  committed  to  their 
care.  Many  of  those  letters  were  but  brief,  and  were  called 
forth  by  some  matter  of  business,  but  even  these  were  seldom 
closed  without  some  line  expressing  kindly  hopes  or  wishes  or 
congratulations,  to  stir  the  heart  of  the  lonely  toiler.  Even  in 
his  official  communications  there  frequently  would  be  inter- 
spersed gems  of  beautiful  sentiment  or  of  wise  reflection ;  some- 
times suggested  by  current  events,  sometimes  by  the  reading 
with  which  he  chanced  to  be  occupied,  and  more  often  by 
something  personal  in  the  case  of  the  one  to  whom  he  was  writ- 
ing, or  by  something  connected  with  his  field  of  labor. 

A  few  extracts  may  well  be  inserted  here  as  illustrative  of  this 
feature  of  his  correspondence  with  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese. 
It  may  be  added  that  it  appears  to  have  been  a  practice  of  the 
Bishop  to  write  many  of  these  letters  during  the  season  of  Lent, 
when,  we  cannot  doubt,  his  prayers  and  his  meditations  were 
especially  enlarged  in  behalf  of  his  parishes  and  their  pastors. 

Gardiner,  April  15,  1856. 
"I    rejoice   to   hear   of    your   growing    congregations,    and 
although  the  spiritual  harvest  be  still  but  small,  it  will  be  yours 
in  due  season,  if  you  persevere  in  faith  and  patience.     It  is  a 

great  thing  to  have  led  so  far;  others  will  follow.     But 

more  of  this  when  we  meet.     In  the  meantime,  believe  me, 

Affectionately  yours." 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  20T 

"March  6,  1856.  If  ever,  in  the  loneliness  of  celibacy,  you 
desire  a  day  or  two  of  clerical  association  and  talk,  come  up 
and  spend  a  couple  of  nights  with  me.  It  will  give  me  much 
pleasure.  I  hear  very  favorable  accounts  of  your  congregation 
in  its  aspect  to  the  eye  of  a  stranger.  Wishing  you  all  those 
blessings  which  you  most  desire,  for  them  and  yourself,  from 
Him,  whose  love  this  season  brings  so  powerfully  before  us, 
I  am 

Your  friend  and  brother." 

The  following  note  was  written  in  acknowledgment  of  the 
receipt,  from  one  of  his  clergy,  of  an  engraved  portrait  of 
Keble,  which  the  Bishop  had  previously  expressed  a  strong  de- 
sire to  procure,  and  which  used  afterwards  to  hang  in  full  view 
as  he  sat  at  his  study  table: — 

Gardiner,  February  9,  1857. 

"My  Dear  Mr. :  Your  very  welcome  gift  quite  took  me 

by  surprise.  There  are  few  things  of  the  kind  which  I  should 
value  so  much ;  and  it  will  be  still  more  pleasant  from  the  asso- 
ciation with  your  visit,  so  pleasant  to  us,  and  of  your  kind  and 
graceful  manner  of  perpetuating  the  remembrance.  I  have  just 
returned  from  Lewiston,  and  took  the  earliest  opportunity  to 
reply  to  your  note ;  but,  on  reflection,  I  suppose  that  you  will 
already  be  on  your  way  to  Massachusetts.  It  is  better,  however, 
to  send  what  I  have  written,  as  the  date  will  indicate  my  wish, 
and  the  delay  will  do  no  harm. 

Mrs.  Burgess  sends  her  kind  regards,  and  is  much  obliged 
to  you  for  the  loan  of  the  'Owlet,'  etc.,  which  interests  her 
much. 

Affectionately  yours." 

The  next  extract  was  written  during  the  prevalence  of  a  re- 
markable religious  excitement,  which  swept  over  considerable 
portions  of  Maine  in  the  earlier  months  of  the  year  1858.  Brief 
as  the  allusion  is,  it  indicates  with  sufficient  distinctness  our 
Bishop's  steadfast  sympathy  with  that  calm  and  sober  type  of 
religion  which  the  Church's  system  developes  and  nourishes: — 

"March  27,  1858.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  movement  aroimd 
us,  in  which  how  much  is  indeed  of  God  I  do  not  say  or  see,  I 
trust  that  you  find  amongst  your  people  something  of  the  true 


202  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

spirit  of  prayer.  That  the  week  of  our  blessed  Redeemer's  suf- 
ferings may  be  kept  by  all  of  us  with  holy  and  contrite  hearts, 
is  my  heart's  desire." 

How  plainly  may  be  seen  the  throbbing  heart  of  the  faithful 
and  true  shepherd  in  the  concluding  lines  of  yet  another 
letter: — 

"  Most  heartily  will  I  pray  for  God's  blessing  upon  your  con- 
gregation through  your  labors  in  the  ensuing  season.  Let  them 
not  be  excessive  and  exhausting;  and  I  earnestly  hope  that  they 

will  not  be  your  last  Lenten  labors  at .     You  will  pray  also 

for  me  and  for  all  our  congregations ;  and  '  may  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  love  of  God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  be  with  us  all!' 

Affectionately  yours." 

In  explanation  of  the  next  it  will  be  enough  to  mention  that 
allusion  is  made  in  the  opening  portion  to  an  approaching  mar- 
riage. Few  men  possess  the  art  of  introducing  topics  of  that 
kind  so  gracefully  and  with  such  delicate  cordiality  as  did  our 
Bishop: — 

"March  9,  1859.  Your  Lent  services,  I  hope,  will  be  attended 
with  such  a  blessing  as  may  prepare  the  way  both  for  a  gladden- 
ing confirmation,  and  for  cheerful  leisure  at  the  other  season  to 
which  you  are  looking  forward,  and  for  which  I  ask  every  blessing 

'Of  heaven  and  earth  beneath, 
Of  converse  high,  and  sacred  home, 
Of  bHssful  life  and  death.' 

I  am  reading  Dr.  Bushnell's  book  on  'Nature  and  the 
Supernatural.'  It  is  wonderfully  able,  and,  in  many  points, 
exceedingly  valuable ;  while  some  of  his  opinions  are  altogether 
crude,  and  some  will  be  mischievous.  No  other  man  living 
could  have  written  it;  and  if  just  one-half  of  it  could  have  been 
cut  out,  not  only  from  the  book,  but  from  the  mind  of  the 
author,  the  other  would  have  placed  him  with  the  foremost 
Christian  thinkers  of  any  age. 

Affectionately  yours." 

From  the  great  difficulty  experienced  in  efforts  to  obtain  a 
supply  of  clergymen  for  his  vacant  parishes,  the  Bishop  not 
unfrequently  found  himself  surrounded  by  a  class  of  laborers 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  203 

young  in  years  and  in  the  ministry.  Towards  such  his  care  was 
tender  and  constant  to  a  degree  that  never  failed  to  win  their 
most  devoted  attachment.  He  used  to  interest  himself  in  their 
studies,  maintain  with  them  frequent  correspondence,  aid  them 
by  occasional  exchanges,  oblige  them  by  preaching  in  their 
churches  when  they  required  temporary  relief,  and,  if  they  were 
unmarried,  invite  them  to  prolonged  visits  at  his  hospitable 
home.  Who,  that  was  permitted  thus  to  sit  at  his  feet  within  the 
charmed  circle  of  his  household  life,  can  ever  forget  the  privi- 
lege? What  hours  of  delightful  communing  upon  topics  whose 
range  was  boundless,  and  whose  variety  innumerable  !  How  did 
the  mind  of  the  youthful  guest  expand,  as,  day  by  day,  and 
night  after  night,  its  energies  were  put  to  the  stretch  to  keep 
pace  with  the  movements  of  an  intellect  so  ripe  and  so  richly 
stored.  Many  a  clergyman,  who  subsequently  went  forth  into 
wider  fields  of  usefulness,  has  felt  that,  under  God,  he  owed 
everything  of  success  that  he  attained  in  his  ministry  to  the 
apprenticeship  which  he  served  under  this  wise  master  in  Israel. 
The  testimony  of  one  such  may  here  be  fittingly  introduced: — 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  learn  that  there  is  to  be  prepared  a  me- 
moir of  the  Bishop.  One  of  the  greatest  and  best  of  the  Bishops 
of  his  time,  he  deserves  that  this  should  be  done,  and  done  well. 
I  have  just  been  looking  over  the  letters  from  him  which  I  have. 
They  are  nearly  forty  in  number,  but  are  mostly  upon  matters 
of  business.  There  is,  however,  much  in  them  that  illustrates 
his  fidelity,  his  deep  interest  in  the  weak  parishes  of  his  field, 
his  care  in  administering  discipline,  his  wisdom  in  matters  of 
ecclesiastical  business,  his  sympathy  with  his  younger  clergy, 
his  advice,  seasonable  at  all  times,  as  to  when  it  is  right  for  a 
clergyman  to  leave  one  field  for  another,  and  also  as  to  the  im- 
portance of  his  interesting  himself  in  his  people,  even  in  matters 
of  local  interest  not  ecclesiastical ;  his  sense  of  the  difficulties  of 
such  a  field  as  Maine ;  his  resignation  in  view  of  constant  losses 
of  promising  clergy.  I  think  I  never  reverenced  any  man  so 
highly  as  I  did  Bishop  Burgess.  I  owe  to  him  very  much,  and 
thank  God  for  what  he  was  to  me ;  and  he  was  the  same  to  all 
his  clergy  and  people  according  to  their  needs." 

The  letters  of  the  Bishop  to  these  younger  brethren  abound 
with  examples  both  of  his  kindness  of  heart,  and  of  that  wise 
fidelity  which  marked  all  his  administration  of  the  offtce  of  an 


204  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

overseer  in  the  Church.  Often  they  were  letters  of  advice,  and, 
in  some  instances,  will  be  found  to  express  his  deliberate  judg- 
ment on  subjects  of  interest  and  importance.  Even  when  of  a 
less  formal  character,  they  never  failed  to  contain  wholesome 
counsels,  well  calculated  to  supply  both  encouragement  and  in- 
struction to  an  inexperienced  pastor.  Let  a  few  of  these  com- 
munications here  bear  witness  for  themselves: — 

Gardiner,  November  28,  1850. 
"Reverend  and  Dear  Brother: — 

I  am  gratified  with  the  little  which,  after  a  few  days,  you 
were  able  to  tell  me  of  your  prospects.  There  is,  indeed,  too 
little  to  require  any  special  reply  from  me;  but  I  know  that 
sometimes  a  simple  word  of  encouragement,  sympathy,  or  coun- 
sel, may  have  its  value  when  one  is,  in  a  measure,  alone. 

Your  plans  appear  to  me  judicious,  and  adapted  to  call  out 
more  co-operation  than  any  other.  They  indicate  at  the  com- 
mencement a  perfect  harmony  between  the  venerable  Rector  at 
St.  Stephen  and  yourself,  and  seem  likely  to  secure  to  you  one 
or  two  good  congregations,  without  interfering  with  his  services. 
To  you,  individually,  it  will  be  a  satisfaction  that  you  will  be  at 
liberty  to  receive  the  communion  from  time  to  time,  which  is 
not  always  the  case  with  deacons,  who  have  the  charge  of  con- 
gregations. 

You  will,  of  course,  find  it  necessary,  and  will  have  the  time, 
to  devote  much  attention  to  the  composition  of  sermons.  I 
recommend  to  you  to  make  them  addresses,  as  far  as  may  be, 
and  instructive  addresses;  in  other  words,  to  have  your  congre- 
gation always  before  your  eye,  with  all  their  spiritual  wants,  and 
to  endeavor  to  fill  your  sermons  with  just  that  scriptural  matter 
which  they  need.  Your  manner  will  become  more  and  more 
animated  and  direct,  as  this  sentiment  and  this  effort  become 
more  settled." 

TO   THE   SAME. 

January  29,  185 1. 

"Thus  far  you  have  received  all  the  encouragement  which  I 
dared  to  anticipate,  and  more ;  and  if  those  who  gather  to  you 
should  be,  in  great  part,  the  poorer  and  more  neglected,  your 
work  is  the  more  like  that  of  Him  who  said,  'to  the  poor  the 
gospel  is  preached,'  as  a  sign  that  the  Messiah  had  indeed 
come. 

It  will  give  me  great  pleasure,  God  willing,  to  visit  Calais 
and  Eastport  when  the  water  communication  shall  be  open,  if  it 
should  seem   expedient.     With  regard   to  candidates  for  con- 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  205 

firmatlon,  allow  me  to  say,  that  it  almost  invariably  appears  to 
pastors,  and  especially  to  young  pastors,  that  more  will  be  ready 
than  the  result  proves  to  have  been  sufficiently  instructed  and 
decided.  A  general  survey  of  the  ground  almost  always  en- 
courages hopes  which  are  baffled  when  we  come  to  direct  appli- 
cation. Many  persons,  too,  who  are  more  or  less  seriously 
disposed,  give  at  first  hesitating  replies,  and  are  not,  perhaps, 
really  able  to  come  to  a  decision  till  the  hour  is  close  at  hand, 
and  then  they  usually  decide  upon  delay.  It  would  be  well,  so 
far  as  you  present  the  subject,  to  do  it  with  much  distinctness, 
and  to  seek  that  the  candidates  should,  some  time  previously  to 
the  administration,  be  fully  settled  in  their  minds;  and,  should 
you  thus  begin,  it  would  afterwards  be  easier  to  perpetuate  the 
custom.  It  would  not  much  surprise  me  if  some  of  your  hopes 
in  this  particular  should  be  disappointed;  although  a  different 
feeling  on  the  subject  of  confirmation  may  possibly  exist  there, 
where  the  Church  has  been  known  to  so  many  from  infancy,  and 
where  its  usages  are  familiar,  from  that  which  is  common  in 
other  parts  of  the  State.  But  when  there  shall  be  candidates  for 
confirmation,  you  may  be  sure  that  I  shall  rejoice  to  make  the 
journey." 

TO    THE    SAME. 

"The  question  whether  the  church  shall  be  free  or  not,  is,  of 
course,  entirely  one  of  expediency,  and  that  expediency  is  very 
much  to  be  tested  by  the  willingness  of  different  persons  to  con- 
tribute either  for  the  one  or  the  other.  Considering  what  are 
the  circumstances  of  many  of  your  parishioners,  I  should  regret 
to  see  the  plan  adopted  of  selling  the  pews  permanently;  for  it 
seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  procure  the  funds  for 
building  so  expensive  a  church,  as  the  few  who  could  pay  libe- 
rally for  pews  might  demand,  while  the  many  who  could  not 
purchase  at  all  would  be,  to  a  great  extent,  excluded.  On  the 
other  hand,  a  church  absolutely  free,  in  such  a  sense  that  there 
is  no  appropriation  of  seats,  has  very  seldom  been  found  to  suc- 
ceed, and  would,  I  think,  be  plainly  inexpedient  in  the  face  of 
any  strong  feeling  of  individuals.  But  a  church  would,  in 
another  sense,  be  free,  if  the  pews  were  not  permanently  owned, 
but  rented  for  the  support  of  public  worship  from  year  to  year. 
Then,  too,  such  might  be  reserved  without  any  payment,  as 
would  be  required  for  the  poorest,  or  for  strangers  and  transient 
dwellers.  Possibly  some  such  plan  may  meet  the  views  of  all, 
and  be  free  from  the  anticipated  evils." 

In  his  decision  upon  points  submitted  by  the  clergy  to  his 
official  judgment,  the  Bishop  exhibited  all  the  qualities  of  a  wise 


2o6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

and  conscientious  interpreter  of  the  Church's  laws  and  usages. 
Cahii,  cautious,  deliberate,  and  prudent,  he  gave  to  every  such 
question,  as  it  came  before  him,  that  thorough  attention  and 
careful  weighing  of  its  bearings,  both  near  and  remote,  which 
are  the  proper  marks  of  the  safe  and  upright  judge.  On  one 
most  important  question,  the  difficulties  of  which  have  weighed 
on  many  minds  among  our  parish  ministers,  we  are  able  to  pro- 
duce his  valuable  opinion.  It  was  given  to  one  of  his  clergy 
who  had  written  to  him  to  know  whether  he  ought  to  debar  from 
the  Holy  Communion,  a  person  who,  being  divorced  for  other 
than  scriptural  reasons,  had  contracted  a  second  marriage: — 

"On  the  law  of  the  case  I  ought,  it  would  seem,  to  be  pre- 
pared to  pronounce ;  and  yet  I  feel,  in  a  matter  of  such  gravity, 
the  necessity  of  some  deliberation.  I  do  not  know  whether  the 
question  has  been  practically  raised  before.  It  is  not  exactly 
the  same  with  that  of  the  right  to  enter  into  or  to  solemnize  such 
marriages.  If  it  were  but  doubtful  whether  they  were  lawful  to 
a  Christian,  that  would  be  a  sufficient  reason  for  prohibiting 
them.  But  then,  if  it  were  doubtful  only,  a  person  who  had 
contracted  such  a  marriage  should  have  the  benefit  of  that  doubt, 
when  his  right  to  come  to  the  Lord's  table  was  in  question. 
The  rejection  can  only  be  justified  on  the  ground  that  the  mar- 
riage is  actually  adulterous ;  and  then  it  must  continue  as  long 
at  least  as  the  marriage  continues;  and  no  repentance  would 
suffice,  unless  the  parties  were  separated.  This  is  a  strong 
ground  to  be  held  towards  marriages  pronounced  legal  by  the 
laws  of  the  land,  and  contracted  by  many  persons  without  suspi- 
cion of  their  unlawfulness  before  God.  I  am  not  at  all  sure  that 
we  must  not  take  that  ground,  but,  before  doing  it  officially,  I 
should  wish  time  for  reflection  and  consultation.  You  might  act 
in  a  single  case,  and  acquit  your  conscience.  But  if  I  pronounce 
an  opinion,  it  is  stating  a  principle  which  must  be  supposed  to 
be  the  same  throughout  the  Church,  and  which  involves  vast 
consequences,  ecclesiastical,  social,  and  possibly  civil." 

The  same  conservative  prudence  appears  in  another  instance 
which  may  properly  be  given  here.  A  clergyman  had  consulted 
him  as  to  the  propriety  of  accommodating  his  Lent  services  to 
the  greater  profit  of  his  congregation,  by  making  certain  portions 
of  the  morning  service  available  at  night;  and  also  had  sought 
permission  to  substitute  special  lessons  in  the  place  of  those  set 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  207 

forth  in  the  daily  calendar,  where  the  latter  might  appear  to  be 
ill-suited  to  the  spirit  of  the  season.  The  former  part  of  this 
request  will  be  readily  appreciated  by  such  as  have  had  expe- 
rience, in  parishes  where  there  were  few  persons  of  leisure,  of  the 
extreme  difficulty  of  bringing  the  people  to  attend  church  on  a 
week-day,  except  in  the  evening: — 

Gardiner,  February  15,  1858. 

"In  reply  to  your  questions,  I  see  no  objection  to  the  use  of 
the  Litany  at  an  evening  service.  I  use  it  in  Lent  after  the  lec- 
ture and  Evening  Prayer,  but  should  freely  sanction  its  use,  if 
you  prefer  it,  at  the  same  place  as  in  the  morning  service. 

Just  as  little  is  the  use  of  the  Ante-Communion  objectiona- 
ble in  the  way  which  you  propose.  I  have  much  more  hesita- 
tion with  regard  to  the  Lessons.  These  services  do  not  appear 
to  me  to  be  'extraordinary'  or  'special.'  It  is  the  regular  per- 
formance of  Morning  or  Evening  Prayer;  and  though  I  shall  by 
no  means  condemn  your  course,  if  they  should  be  construed  by 
you  as  'special,'  I  do  not  think  that  I  have  authority  to  super- 
sede the  prescribed  Lessons,  and  should  fear  lest  the  precedent 
should  be  pushed  to  a  mischievous  length.  In  an  extreme  case, 
discretion  may  possibly  assume  the  form  of  necessity;  but  in 
ordinary  instances,  I  cannot  see  that  the  Church  has  authorized 
deviations."     .... 

Any  clergyman  whose  lot  it  was  to  hold  a  parish  in  the  Diocese 
of  Maine  in  Bishop  Burgess'  day,  must  remember  well  the  inte- 
rest which  he  always  manifested  in  making  arrangements  for  the 
various  services  to  be  held  at  the  periodical  assembling  of  the 
Board  of  Missions.  On  such  occasions  it  was  his  practice  to 
confer,  beforehand,  with  the  minister  of  the  parish  in  which  the 
meeting  was  to  take  place;  and,  with  a  delicate  courtesy  for 
which  he  was  remarkable,  in  great  measure  to  adopt  as  his  own 
ordering,  such  a  course  as  the  latter  might  suggest.  In  this  it 
was  his  aim  to  promote  such  measures  as  might  best  serve  the 
profit  of  the  people  among  which  the  Board  was  to  hold  its 
sessions,  upon  the  ground  that  every  pastor  was  the  best  judge 
in  matters  relating  to  his  own  immediate  flock. 

During  the  course  of  his  episcopate  he  must  have  written  many 
letters  in  anticipation  of  these  meetings,  of  which  one  or  two 
may  be  inserted  here  by  way  of  illustration : — 


20 8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Gardiner,  December  29,  1856. 

"I  very  much  like  your  proposed  arrangements,  and  have  no 
change  to  suggest.  Whether  I  shall  be  there  on  Tuesday  even- 
ing may  depend  on  some  pastoral  duties;  but  I  shall  rejoice  to 
be  if  I  can. 

As  a  subject  for  remark  on  Wednesday  morning  I  would 
suggest,  'the  joy  and  duty  of  bringing  others  into  the  fellow- 
ship which  is  assured  to  us  by  the  Lord's  Supper.' 

The  Collect,  Epistle,  and  Gospel,  are  those  for  the  Epiphany 
itself;  if,  therefore,  you  have  no  service  on  Tuesday  morning, 
you  will,  between  that  on  Tuesday  evening  and  that  on  Wednes- 
day morning,  with  the  first  lesson  on  Christmas  eve,  have  had 
the  full  Epiphany  service. 

There  is  no  kind  of  objection  that  the  missionary  collection 
should  be  the  offertory;  and,  under  the  circumstances,  this  is 
doubtless  best. 

Hoping  that  the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Ghost  may  be  with  us 
and  with  your  people  at  the  approaching  meeting,  I  remain, 

Affectionately  yours." 

Gardiner,  April  4,  1S58. 
"I  am  quite  satisfied  with  your  proposed  arrangements,  with 
one  or  two  exceptions.     Would  it  not  be  better,  as  we  have  the 
opportunity,  to  have  the  confirmation  in  the  daytime?     I  always 
prefer  it,  unless  there  are  strong  reasons  to  the  contrary. 

I  wish  that  you  would  choose  and  invite  the  preachers; 
only  not  always  selecting  those  who  may  be  likely  to  be  most 
attractive.     That,  in  the  end,  is  unjust  to  our  brethren. 

You  are  aware  that  our  most  distressing  fears  for have 

been  fulfilled.  We  have  to  gather  up  all  our  strength,  and  to 
seek  fresh  strength  from  God's  grace,  in  order  to  sustain  this 
shock.     Think  especially  of  his  absent  family  in  your  petitions. 

I  am,  my  dear  Mr.  , 

Affectionately  yours." 

The  missionary  interests  of  his  Diocese  was  a  subject  that  ap- 
peared to  press  continually  on  the  Bishop's  thoughts,  and  that 
was  often  alluded  to  both  in  his  interviews  and  in  his  corres- 
pondence with  the  clergy.  No  man  could  be  more  profoundly 
impressed  by  the  religious  destitution  of  the  vast  field  committed 
to  his  care.  None  could  be  more  watchful  for  opportunities 
and  means  of  lessening  that  destitution.  For  himself  he  spared 
no  labor  and  no  discomfort,  in  order  to  provide  the  services  of 
the  Church  for  such  of  the  waste  places  as  were  within  his  reach. 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  209 

To  the  same  end  he  was  fertile  in  devising  methods  whereby  to 
utilize  the  energies  of  his  clergy,  and  the  assistance  of  occasional 
visitors  who,  in  the  summer  months,  might  come  to  Maine  for 
recreation.  Many  of  his  letters  were  written  in  pursuance  of 
arrangements  for  this  sort  of  desultory  missionary  enterprise, 
showing  at  once  his  zeal  for  the  extension  of  the  Church,  and 
his  ingenuity  in  making  the  most  effectual  use  of  every  casual 
help  to  that  end.  Thus,  in  one  case,  we  find  in  a  letter  to  one 
of  his  clergy  words  like  these: — 

"I  will  write  to  Mr. ,  and  encourage  any  interest  which 

he  may  feel  in  Waterville.  It  is  our  duty,  I  think,  to  make  an 
effort  there,  for  the  Church  is  much  needed,  though  it  may  not 
be  welcome." 

And  in  another  letter  to  the  same  clergyman  we  find  a  yet 
fuller  illustration  of  this  characteristic  feature  of  his  labors: — 

Gardiner,  August  17,  1857. 

"My  Dear  Mr. .     I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your 

kind  offer,  and  to  Mr.  Bronson  for  his  readiness  to  act  as  your 
substitute.  Yesterday  I  was  at  Brunswick,  Mr.  Bartlet,  of  Chel- 
sea, being  here.  Had  I  received  your  letter  on  Friday,  perhaps 
I  should  have  desired  that  service  of  you ;  but  it  is  better  as  it 
is.  ...  I  may  possibly  desire  you  to  spend  a  Sunday  at 
Searsport ;  or  at  Camden,  to  enable  Mr.  Slattery  to  be  at  Sears- 
port;  but  I  wrote  to  him  on  Saturday,  and  should  I  hear  from 
him  that  such  a  visit  on  his  part,  or  on  yours,  would  be  desir- 
able, I  will  inform  you.  If  the  services  of  the  Church  can  be 
held,  either  by  you  or  by  me,  at  Waterville,  on  a  Sunday,  I 
shall  rejoice.  Of  course,  any  expenses  incurred  by  you  must  be 
paid  by  our  Board. 

It  is  a  little  unfortunate,  perhaps,  that  our  clerical  visitors, 
who  this  season  are  numerous,  should  all  have  waited  till  my 
visitations  were  over,  and  till  our  new  deacons  were  in  the  field. 
However,  their  help  is  welcome  still,  and  we  are  much  indebted 
to  them.  Affectionately, 

Your  friend  and  brother." 

In  like  manner  this  which  follows  reveals  his  readiness  to  act 
as  the  chief  missionary  on  the  frontier  of  the  field  committed  to 
his  care: — 
14 


2IO  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Gardiner,  May  7,  1859. 
''My  Dear  Mr.  Durell: — 

I  had  planned  a  visit  to  Houlton  on  this  wise.  You  observe 
that  my  appointment  at  Oldtown  is  for  Wednesday,  the  15th  of 
June.  I  had  purposed  to  set  out  on  the  next  day  for  Houlton, 
having  obtained  from  you  an  introduction  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Street, 
of  Woodstock,  in  the  See  of  Fredericton,  unless  you  would  be 
able  to  meet  me  there,  which  would  be  much  better.  Then,  if 
there  could  be  a  previous  appointment,  which  I  hoped  to  have 
made  through  you  and  Mr.  Street,  I  could  preach  at  Houlton 
on  Sunday,  the  19th;  if  not,  at  Woodstock.  There  would  be 
time  for  some  observation  of  the  Aroostook  country;  and  I,  or 
we,  could,  according  to  the  amount  of  time,  come  down  directly, 
or  by  the  way  of  St.  John,  so  as  to  be  at  Calais  on  the  following 
Sunday.  Consider  this  arrangement,  and  if  it  strikes  you  favor- 
ably, see  whether  you  can  be  spared  from  home  on  the  19th  for 
the  sake  of  this  missionary  service.  If  you  can,  I  will  leave 
all  details  at  Houlton  in  your  hands,  and  will  provide  for  your 
expenses.  If  you  cannot,  will  you  have  the  goodness  to  write  to 
Mr.  Street  and  learn  from  him  whether  it  would  be  practicable 
for  me  to  hold  services  on  that  day  at  Houlton? 

I  hope  that  the  terrible  disease,  of  which  you  speak  as  pre- 
vailing around  you,  may  not  come  nigh  your  dwelling,  and  may 
soon  be  mercifully  withdrawn. 

With  very  kind  regards  to  Mrs.  Durell,  I  am 

Affectionately  yours." 

Respecting  the  visit  thus  planned,  Mr.  Durell  writes: — 

"I  had  previously  visited  Houlton  at  the  Bishop's  suggestion, 
held  services,  baptized  a  number  of  children,  and  visited  the 
homes  of  many  church  people  who  had  but  recently  removed  to 
that  growing  place.  The  bare  intimation  of  a  wish  on  the  part 
of  such  a  Bishop  was  always  quite  sufficient  with  all  his  clergy 
to  cause  them  to  render  an  immediate  and  hearty  compliance." 
"The  Rev.  Mr.  Street,  Rector  of  Woodstock,  N.  B.,  kindly  met 
the  Bishop  at  Houlton.  He,  with  my  assistance,  conducted  the 
services,  which  were  held  in  the  Congregationalist  Meeting 
House,  and  the  Bishop  preached  morning  and  afternoon.  At 
the  morning  service  the  Bishop  baptized  a  child  of  a  woman 
who,  apparently,  could  not  read ;  and,  instead  of  permitting  her, 
as  sponsor,  simply  to  assent  to  the  several  questions,  he  paused  a 
moment,  and  then  said,  '  Say  after  me,  I  renounce  them  all,'  &c." 

A  year  later  we  find  the  Bishop  preparing  to  revisit  this  remote 
outpost  of  his  Diocese  and  of  the  whole  American  Church;   a 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  2ii 

place  which  he  afterwards  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  furnish 
another  to  his  not  extended  list  of  parishes. 

Gardiner,  May  17,  i860. 
*'My  Dear  Mr.  Durell: — 

I  must  rely  on  you,  I  believe,  to  communicate  with  our  friends 
at  Houlton,  so  far  as  may  be  necessary  to  prepare  for  my  visit 
on  the  loth  of  June.  If  the  modes  of  conveyance  allow  it,  I 
should  wish  to  go  up  from  Calais,  so  as  to  be  at  Houlton  on  Fri- 
day, and  to  spend  Saturday  there.  Should  there  be  any  persons 
desirous  to  be  confirmed,  of  whom  I  could  obtain  information, 
this  would  afford  an  opportunity  for  seeing  them  on  Saturday, 
and  also  for  any  interview  which  might  be  desirable  with  those 
who  may  be  disposed  to  organize  a  parish.  From  your  know- 
ledge of  the  place  and  people,  you  can  do  all  much  better  than 
I  could  through  any  direct  correspondence. 

******* 

Give  my  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Durell.  I  sympathize  with 
your  anxiety  for  the  little  boy.  But  all  things  are  possible  with 
God,  and  in  every  event  His  Fatherly  hand  is  over  the  child 
more  tenderly  even  than  yours. 

Affectionately  yours." 

The  closing  sentences  of  the  last  letter  will  revive,  for  those 
who  have  ever  labored  under  Bishop  Burgess,  some  of  the  most 
endearing  recollections  of  this  departed  Father.  In  him  his 
clergy  never  failed  to  find,  not  only  an  adviser  and  director  of 
their  labors,  but  a  friend,  whose  most  tender  and  delicate  sym- 
pathy followed  them  in  all  the  trials  of  their  private  or  domestic 
history.  No  doubt  the  fewness  of  their  number,  and  the  diffi- 
culty of  obtaining  accessions  to  the  little  band,  had  much  to  do 
with  adding,  to  his  official  interest  in  their  career,  the  strength 
of  a  warm  personal  attachment  to  them  and  to  their  households. 
How  truly  "in  all  their  afflictions  he  was  afflicted,"  they  best 
can  testify  who,  in  the  darker  passages  of  their  experience,  have 
been  comforted  by  his  sweet  and  gentle  and  holy  expressions 
of  paternal  thoughtfulness  and  love.  Some  of  his  letters,  which 
were  called  forth  by  occasions  of  this  nature,  will  rank  among 
the  most  exquisite  specimens  of  religious  consolation  to  be  met 
with  anywhere  in  this  department  of  literature.  One  series  of 
this  description  will  be  inserted  here,  prefaced  by  an  explana- 


212  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

tory  note  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  D ,  to  whom  the  letters  were 

addressed.     He  says: — 

''While  staying  at  our  house  on  the  occasion  of  his  annual 
visit  (July,  1857),  our  little  boy,  George  Burgess,  became  so  ill 
as  to  cause  us  great  alarm  and  distress.  No  words  can  possibly 
express  the  kindness  and  hearty  sympathy  he  exhibited.  Very 
little  was  said  by  him,  but  every  look  and  motion  declared 
plainly  what  he  felt;  nor  can  we  ever  forget  that  midnight  prayer 
offered  in  our  behalf.  Within  a  few  days,  Joseph,  the  son  next 
older,  fell  sick  and  died ;  and  within  five  weeks  our  only  re- 
maining boy.  Burgess,  followed  him  to  his  eternal  home.  These 
precious  letters  came  to  help  us  bear  the  dreadful  load." 

Gardiner,  July  11,  1857. 

"My  Dear  Mr.  D :— 

Your  several  letters  have  found  me  in  the  midst  of  such  a 
pressure  in  closing  up  my  visitations,  and  in  attendance  at  the 
Convention,  that  I  could  not  reply  till  this  moment.  They  have 
filled  me  with  grief  in  which  all  our  brethren  participated.  I 
infer  from  them  that  you  probably  do  not  cherish  any  hope  of 
the  restoration  of  the  dear  little  child ;  and  that,  with  the  sight 
of  his  suffering,  and  the  certainty  of  such  an  issue,  it  is  hard  for 
you  even  to  bear  the  pain  of  waiting.  I  can  only  pray  that  you 
may  have  a  strength  which  is  not  your  own.  You  are  but  holding 
in  your  arms  a  very  little  while  an  heir  of  heaven.  That  which 
you  see  with  so  much  distress,  will  soon  be  past,  and  past  forever. 
In  his  infant  innocence,  he  knows  little  of  true  suffering;  and 
you  are  sure  that,  as  one  of  the  lambs  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  he  is 
resting  at  all  times  under  the  tenderest  care  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd. 'A  little  while,  and  you  see  him  no  more,  and  again  a 
little  while,  and  you  shall  see  him,'  if  you  but  abide  in  meek 
patience  and  in  humble  faith." 

Gardiner,  July  14,  1857. 

"My  Dear  Mr.  D :— 

Your  telegraphic  message  has  just  come,  with  its  most  unex- 
pected announcement.  I  had  all  along  thought  that  if  it  pleased 
God  to  take  the  little  one,  his  brother  appeared  a  child  of  so 
much  promise,  that  you  would  have  a  world  of  comfort  left. 
He  attracted  me  exceedingly  by  his  sweet,  thoughtful,  quiet  ways, 
as  he  went  about,  talking  to  himself.  But  his  heavenly  Father 
knew  what  was  best.  I  can  say  no  more ;  and  I  say  it  with  a 
heart  that  bleeds  with  yours.  You  are  called  to  the  tenderest  of 
all  human  trials,  not  the  most  overwhelming.  No ;  in  all  your 
anguish  and  tears,  you  know  that  there  are  some  a  thousand 
times  more  severe  than  this  of  yielding  up  to  God  the  heirs  of 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  213 

the  kingdom  of  heaven,  sure  of  their  inheritance.  The  God  who 
chastens  knows  how  to  sustain  and  to  heal.     I  can  but  commend 

you  to  His  loving  kindness,  praying  that  you  and  dear  Mrs.  D 

may  find  it  to  be  more  precious  than  life.  'The  Lord  lift  up 
His  countenance  upon  you,  and  give  you  peace!'  May  heaven 
seem  open  before  your  eyes  while  you  think  of  your  dear  little 
ones,  united  there,  as  they  may  be  before  you  read  this  letter; 
and  may  every  thought  of  them  be  like  the  voice  of  an  angel, 
summoning  you  to  be  faithful,  and  attain  the  crown  of  life ! 

It  has  occurred  to  me  that  you  might  be  glad  to  have  relief 
from  your  Sunday  duties  and  from  all  anxiety  about  them,  and  I 
propose  to  request  Mr.  Spaulding  to  come  and  spend  two  Sun- 
days with  you ;  but  it  is  not  quite  certain  whether  this  can  be 
accomplished.  If  it  can,  you  may  expect  him;  and  his  expenses 
will  be  paid,  in  going  and  coming. 

With  the  deepest  sympathy  for  yourself  and  your  afflicted  wife, 
I  am  Your  affectionate  brother." 

Gardiner,  July  28,  1857. 
''My  Dear  Brother: — 

Your  most  touching  letters,  giving  me  fuller  information  of 
little  Joseph's  illness,  and  of  the  later  condition  of  the  baby, 
reached  me  soon  after  I  had  written  to  you  in  explanation  of  the 
non-arrival  of  Mr.  Spaulding.  I  have  sympathized  with  you  in 
all  your  parental  sorrow  and  anxiety;  and  I  do  rejoice  that  you 
have  been  enabled  to  submit  yourselves  so  meekly  to  the  will  of 
our  Father  in  heaven.  These  are  the  things  which  we  know  not 
now,  but  shall  know  hereafter.  But  even  now,  how  wonderfully 
does  the  abode  of  that  departed  little  one  with  the  Lord,  draw 
up  and  anchor  there  your  best  affections !  He  is  gone  before 
you,  and  the  desire  of  your  hearts  is  to  follow  him  and  all  the 
saints.  You  will  find  great  comfort  in  the  discharge  of  your  pas- 
toral duties;  and  probably,  when  you  visit  the  sick  and  afflicted, 
your  experience  will  prepare  you  to  speak  more  from  the  heart 
and  to  the  heart.  But  it  is  still  only  a  sure  trust  in  God,  and 
a  bright  hope  of  heaven,  that  will  make  the  time  of  trouble  a 
season  of  rejoicing,  of  holy  rejoicing,  though  not  the  less  of  tears. 

I  hope  that  Mrs.  D has  not  sustained  any  serious  loss  of 

health  through  anxiety  and  grief.  The  sympathy  of  your  friends 
at  Calais  and  St.  Stephen's,  which  I  am  sure  you  must  have  found 
abundantly,  has  been  no  doubt  a  great  solace;  and,  after  a  time, 
the  consciousness  of  spiritual  fruit  from  the  valley  of  affliction 
will  mingle  itself  soothingly  with  the  tenderness  of  the  recent 
wound." 


214  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Gardiner,  August  25,  1857. 
"My  Dear  Mr.  D :— 

I  need  not  say  with  what  sympathy  I  have  read  your  letter, 
which  was  my  first  information  of  your  final  bereavement.  That 
it  was  at  last  less  distressing  by  far  than  it  would  previously  have 
been,  I  can  well  believe ;  as,  after  such  peculiar  sufferings,  he 
must  have  seemed  to  you  more  like  one  detained  from  his  rest 
than  a  candidate  for  earthly  happiness. 

But  words  of  comfort  are  now,  perhaps,  hardly  in  their  place; 
when  exhausted  by  the  long  pressure  of  such  anxieties  and  grief, 
you  need  rather  to  have  your  thoughts  drawn,  if  it  be  possible, 
into  a  different  channel.  You  will  dwell  enough,  and  possibly 
but  too  much,  on  your  departed  ones,  only  with  tenderness  and 
hope,  and  firm  reliance  on  the  kind  love  of  God  to  them  and 
you." 

There  was  one  feature  in  the  administration  of  the  departed 
Bishop  which  must  by  no  means  be  overlooked  in  this  record : 
his  exceeding  fairness  and  impartiality  towards  all  his  clergy,  to 
whatever  school  of  theology  they  might  belong,  or  whatever 
methods  they  might  choose  to  adopt  in  their  respective  cures. 
With  him,  the  whole  was  of  far  more  consequence  than  a  part; 
the  Church,  than  any  mere  party  within  it.  The  natural  amia- 
bility of  his  disposition,  enhanced  and  purified  by  the  influence 
of  a  religion  whose  foremost  grace  is  charity,  caused  him  to 
shrink  with  peculiar  repugnance  from  every  form  of  ecclesias- 
tical partisanship.  His  instincts  were  all  conservative.  He  em- 
braced goodness  on  whichever  side  of  any  given  line  it  might 
be  found.  It  mattered  little  in  his  eyes,  by  what  particular  phase 
of  churchmanship  a  man  might  be  distinguished,  if  only  he  were 
earnest,  devout,  wholly  given  up  to  the  Master's  service  in  that 
Church  which  is  the  Lord's  body.  In  looking  abroad  for  labor- 
ers in  his  Diocese,  this  was  a  question  which  it  was  never  his 
practice  to  raise.  He  welcomed  all  that  he  could  obtain,  with 
a  cordial  and  Christian  welcome  that  took  no  note  of  party  ante- 
cedents. Hence  his  Diocese  was  always  at  peace  within  itself. 
Good  and  honest  men  were  there,  content  to  waive  their  differ- 
ences of  opinion,  and  to  work  side  by  side  in  love,  all  alike  at 
least  in  their  veneration  for  their  beloved  leader. 

"Before  I  entered  the  Diocese  of  Maine,"  writes  one  of  its 
former  clergy,  "I  became  acquainted  with  clergymen  who  had 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  215 

resided  there,  and  I  observed,  that  widely  as  they  differed  from 
each  other,  and  some  of  them  from  the  Bishop  also,  they  were 
united  in  the  strongest  affection  for  him  personally.  This  seemed 
to  me  a  clear  proof  of  extraordinary  power,  or  goodness,  or 
both.  My  own  experience  afterwards,  fully  bore  out  this  con- 
clusion. The  Bishop's  presence  impressed  me  always,  as  that 
of  one  who  had  perfectly  united  the  '  suaviter  in  modo  et  fortiter 
in  re.^  To  hold  decided  views  in  regard  to  the  Church  and  the 
State,  to  express  those  views  clearly  and  strongly,  and  yet  to 
claim  the  highest  esteem,  and  the  strongest  friendship  of  Repub- 
licans and  Democrats,  High  Churchmen  and  Low  Churchmen, 
argues  the  most  exalted  personal  qualities." 

And  in  a  similar  strain,  we  have  the  witness  of  still  another  of 
his  clergy,  who  thus  writes  respecting  him  : — 

"  Of  the  utmost  firmness  in  principle  himself,  he  could  always 
respect  the  principles  of  others,  and  the  respectful  manner  in 
which  he  uniformly  treated  those  who  were  known  to  hold  views 
that  were  different  from  his  own,  not  only  tended  to  prevent  the 
adoption  of  anything  like  extremes,  either  in  doctrine  or  usage, 
in  his  Diocese,  but  also  secured  that  remarkable  deference  to 
his  opinions  on  the  part  of  the  clergy,  which  they  delighted 
to  show  in  the  most  marked  and  public  manner.  A  prominent 
layman  of  a  Southern  Diocese  once  said  to  me,  '  It  is  worth  a 
journey  to  Maine,  to  see  the  affectionate  reverence  in  the  bear- 
ing and  speech  of  the  clergy  to  their  Bishop.  No-one  need  be 
told  how  truly  they  love  him.'  " 

And  he  on  his  part  was  careful  never  to  depart  from  a  course 
that  led  to  such  a  hold  on  the  confidence  and  affection  of  his 
clergy.  Towards  any  variation  of  taste  or  of  opinion  that  might 
exist  between  himself  and  them,  he  always  exercised  the  utmost 
indulgence,  forbearing  to  call  the  difference  needlessly  into  view. 
Especially,  in  his  intercourse  with  the  parishes,  did  he  scrupu- 
lously avoid  drawing  the  attention  of  the  people  to  anything  that 
might  be,  in  the  sentiments  or  usages  of  their  rectors,  not  alto- 
gether in  accord  with  preferences  of  his  own.  He  recognized 
to  the  fullest  extent,  the  truth  that  every  man,  worthy  of  man- 
hood, must  be  himself,  if  he  would  be  successful,  and  must  be  left 
to  work  in  his  own  way  and  to  carry  out  his  own  choices.  Hence 
under  his  supervision,  the  parishes  of  Maine  by  no  means  pre- 
sented to  the  eye  a  rigid  external  uniformity  of  usage.  Some 
Churches  had  a  more  elaborate,  and  some  a  plainer  service  :   in 


2 1 6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  B  UR  GESS. 

some  there  was  to  be  found  a  Credence-table,  while  in  others 
it  was  wanting :  in  some  the  Saints'  days  were  kept  with 
public  services,  and  in  others  they  were  not.  These  were 
details  which  the  Bishop  wisely  left  to  be  settled  by  each  minis- 
ter, at  his  own  discretion,  never  in  any  case  coming  between  him 
and  his  flock,  to  cast  a  shadow  over  their  confidence  in  his  judg- 
ment. Rarely,  indeed,  did  an  occasion  arise  that  seemed  to  him 
sufificient  to  call  for  his  interposition,  and  then  a  hint,  privately 
and  mildly  spoken,  was  all  that  was  needed.  The  same  absence 
of  a  party  spirit  marked  the  Conventions  of  the  Diocese,  in 
which  the  common  purpose  of  Bishop,  Clergy,  and  Laity  always 
appeared  to  centre  in  the  prosperity  and  extension  of  the  Church 
which  they  all  loved  alike.  In  those  solemn  councils,  he  held 
the  scales  of  his  official  influence  with  a  hand  that  never  inclined 
to  the  one  side  or  to  the  other,  of  the  strictest  line  of  impartial- 
ity. Votes  there  might  be  which  he  would  have  chosen  should 
be  otherwise  than  what  they  were,  but  he  never  sought  to  shape 
them  by  any  exercise  of  the  advantages  adhering  to  his  position. 
But  on  this  whole  matter  of  his  relation  to  Church  parties,  let 
his  own  written  declarations  speak  for  him.  The  single  letter 
which  is  here  subjoined,  will  be  found  fully  to  bear  out  all  that 
has  been  said  above. 

Gardiner,  July  i6,  1856. 

"My  Dear  Mr. :  After  all  Mr.  S.  did  not  come,  so  that 

I  lost  your  visit  without  compensation. 

On  the  chief  subject  of  your  letter,  I  could  indeed  write  all 
which  I  should  say  in  conversation ;  but  it  may  well  be  with  less 
minuteness. 

The  exercise  of  the  right  of  voting,  under  the  Constitution  of 
the  Church,  is  something  over  which  I  am  disposed  to  exercise 
no  influence.  When  the  result  appears,  I  may,  in  some  cases 
feel  regret,  as  I  certainly  do  in  this  case,  not  at  the  election  of 
any  one,  but  at  the  non-election  of  another. 

I  do  not  look  at  this  as  any  party  arrangement.  It  seems  to 
me  to  be  almost  purely  the  result  of  a  private  repugnance,  which 

only  makes  the  issue  more  painful It  is  not  for  me  to 

blame  the  Convention.     But,  for  myself  and  for  the  interests  of 

the  Diocese,  I  would   rather  that   Mr.  should  have  been 

chosen,  with  any  other  three  of  the  clergy,  than  that  any  four 
should  have  been  chosen  without  him.  So  little  has  the  matter 
to  do  with  party,  except  as  to  its  possible  interpretation  elsewhere. 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  217 

With  regard  to  the  vague  term  'sympathies,'  I  have  no  par- 
ticular fears.  The  same  freedom  which  I  always  exercised  as  a 
Presbyter,  I  gladly  accord  as  a  Bishop.  With  every  true  mem- 
ber of  the  Church,  High  or  Low,  I  have,  I  am  sure,  sympathies 
enough.  Unless  you  and  I  should  quite  accord,  through  the 
force  of  reflection  and  conscience,  I  should  never  wish,  either  to 
deprive  you  of  any  just  influence,  or  to  induce  you  to  submit, 
unless  in  some  peculiar  matter  of  plain  duty,  your  judgment  to 
mine.  References  to  private  conversations,  and  reports  of  what 
one  has  said,  I  utterly  dislike ;  and  I  very  much  regretted  any 
such  allusions  at  the  Convention.  That  we  shall  have  some  ad- 
ditional difficuUies  in  maintaining  'godly  union  and  concord,' 
I  dm  prepared  to  believe;  but  I  trust  that,  through  God's  help, 
none  of  the  clergy  will  ever  find  in  me  any  other  spirit  than 
that  of  a  true  friend  and  brother. 

I  am,  my  dear  Mr. , 

Affectionately  yours." 

Allusion  has  already  been  made,  in  an  earlier  portion  of  this 
Section,  to  the  influence  of  the  Bishop's  position  as  the  Rector 
of  a  parish  on  his  bearing  towards  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese. 
It  was  doubdess  this  that  imparted  to  their  mutual  intercourse 
much  of  that  fraternal  and  oftentimes  confidential  character 
which  made  it  so  delightful  to  labor  under  his  care.  He  was 
fond,  in  a  certain  sense,  of  laying  aside  the  superiority  of  Order 
that  raised  him  above  them,  and  of  meeting  them  upon  the  level 
of  their  common  pastoral  responsibilities.  Nothing  seemed  to 
delight  him  more  than  to  confer  with  them  concerning  the  details 
of  parochial  work;  on  the  hindrances  to  ministerial  success  that 
were  peculiar  to  Maine;  on  the  encouragements  and  the  dis- 
couragements occurring  in  their  experience;  on  the  subjects  of 
preaching  in  which  they  might  at  any  time  be  particularly  inter- 
ested ;  and  on  any  special  experiments  they  might  have  under- 
taken or  contemplated  in  the  administration  of  their  cures.  Nor 
was  he  less  ready  to  adopt  hints  from  their  experience  than  he 
was  to  impart  to  them  the  benefits  of  his  own.  Sometimes  he 
would  afterwards  recall  the  subject  of  an  interview  of  this  sort, 
and  mention  that  he  had  been  acting  on  an  idea  which  had  then 
been  imparted  to  him.  Perhaps  he  would  have  written  a  sermon 
on  some  text,  the  treatment  of  which  by  the  younger  clergyman 
had  impressed  itself  upon  his  mind.     Or  he  might  have  adopted 


2 1 8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  B  UR  CESS. 

in  his  own  parish  some  detail  that  had  pleased  him  in  the  parish 
of  the  other.  The  writer  remembers  instances  of  both  these 
kinds.  It  was  no  doubt  with  a  view  to  keeping  himself  thus  in 
the  closest  sympathy  with  his  clergy,  that  he  pursued  the  prac- 
tice of  making  with  them  frequent  informal  exchanges.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  official  visitations,  he  liked  to  go  to  their  parishes 
unheralded,  like  any  brother  rector,  and  have  them  in  the  same 
way  come  to  his  own  church  at  Gardiner.  The  congregations 
delighted  in  these  exchanges,  which  brought  their  Bishop  before 
them  in  an  unofficial  light;  in  which  he  appeared,  not  as  the 
ruler  of  the  flock,  but  simply  as  the  meek  and  reverend  dis- 
penser of  God's  word.  His  practice  in  this  particular  will  suffi- 
ciently appear  from  a  single  letter  which  is  but  one  of  an  almost 
countless  number  that  he  must  have  written  to  the  same  effect. 

Gardiner,  Nov.  22,  1855. 

' '  My  Dear  Mr.  :    If  you  would  like  an  exchange  for  next 

Sunday  with  this  late  notice,  and  will  write  to  me  by  to-morrow's 
mail  or  that  of  Saturday  morning,  I  shall  be  happy  to  enter  into 
such  an  arrangement.  I  would  have  earlier  suggested  it,  had  I 
not  had  one  in  view  first  with  Mr.  Gardiner,  who  was  likely  to 
have  been  here  this  week,  but  did  not  come,  and  afterwards  with 
Mr.  Chadwell,  who  prefers  a  fortnight  later.  Knowing,  how- 
ever, that  you  have  recently  been  absent,  I  hope  that  you  will 
defer  it,  if  you  should  think  a  little  later  day  more  desirable ;  as 
I  have  no  reason  for  choosing  next  Sunday,  except  that  I  have 
now  been  at  home  for  several  weeks,  and  like  to  be  in  the  dif- 
ferent parishes,  by  way  of  exchange,  when  I  can,  without  bring- 
ing my  absences  from  home  too  near  each  other.  It  is  not  of 
the  slightest  consequence,  in  this  case,  and  therefore,  if  on  any 
ground  whatever  you  would  rather  be  at  home  next  Sunday,  I 
will  name  some  other  occasion. 

I  am,  very  affectionately, 

Your  friend  and  brother." 

One  of  the  most  constant  trials  that  the  Bishop  had  to  encounter, 
throughout  the  entire  course  of  his  episcopate,  arose  out  of  the 
extreme  difficulty  of  keeping  his  field  supplied  with  laborers. 
In  a  diocese  numbering  so  few  church  families,  of  course  there 
could  be  but  a  few  candidates  for  Holy  Orders  ;  and  even  these, 
trained  usually  in  distant  seminaries,  were  apt  to  adopt  preferences 
for  other  spheres  of  ministerial  labor.    The  remoteness  of  Maine 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  219 

from  the  great  centres  of  our  national  life;  its  isolation,  by 
reason  of  not  being  included  in  any  of  the  great  lines  of  travel ; 
the  rigor  of  its  climate  during  the  long  winters ;  the  fewness  of 
the  parishes,  together  with  their  general  poverty,  and  the  utter 
inadequacy  of  the  salaries  that  most  of  them  could  afford  ;  these 
were  the  disadvantages  against  which  our  faithful  Bishop  had  to 
maintain  an  unceasing  struggle.  His  Clergy  were  continually 
vacating  their  parishes,  and  leaving  the  Diocese  for  more  inviting 
fields.  Not  that  they  were  insensible  to  the  charm  of  being  with 
such  a  Bishop  ;  for  often  they  remained,  for  his  sake  alone,  when 
but  for  him  they  would  have  made  a  speedier  departure.  But 
the  health  of  some ;  the  claims  of  a  growing  family  in  the  case 
of  others ;  the  importunity  of  kindred  living  at  a  distance,  in 
the  case  of  others  still;  all  combined  to  keep  his  clergy  list 
constantly  depleted.  A  man  less  stout-hearted  would  have  sunk 
under  such  a  burden  of  discouragement:  he  bore  it  meekly  and 
valiantly  as  the  cross  that  had  been  laid  upon  him  by  his  Lord, 
How  largely  it  added  to  his  labors  may  well  be  conceived.  The 
mere  correspondence  entailed  upon  him  by  this  cause  alone  was 
immense.  The  filling  of  the  vacant  rectorships  was  a  matter  in 
which  he  always  interested  himself  to  the  utmost,  and  to  effect 
which  he  spared  no  pains.  Particularly  careful  was  he  to  con- 
sult the  special  necessities  of  each  parish  that  might  be  without 
a  minister,  that  "the  right  man  might  be  found  for  the  right 
place."  Thus  he  writes  on  one  occasion  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  (now 
Bishop)  Armitage : — 

May  23d,  1856. 

"You  have  much  obliged  me  by  mentioning  Mr. .     I 

should  be  glad  to  know  farther,  any  particulars  as  to  his  character 
of  mind,  his  age,  his  knowledge  of  men,  or  tact  in  intercourse 
with  them,  his  habits — whether  studious  or  active,  his  manners 
— whether  easy  and  social,  or  distant  and  reserved,  his  mode  of 
delivery — whether  quiet  or  animated,  and  his  expectations — 
whether  easily  satisfied  or  more  elevated.  Can  you  give  me 
some  idea  on  these  points  ;  as  it  might  depend  on  some  of  them, 
whether  he  would  be  adapted  to  one  place  rather  than  another, 
or  whether,  indeed,  any  situation  which  could  be  offered  him 
here  would  be  acceptable.  We  could  certainly,  I  think,  find 
him  employment,  if  it  be  sufficiently  suited  to  his  views  and 
qualities." 


2  20  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

To  a  clergyman  whom  he  had  never  seen,  and  who  had 
received  an  invitation  to  accept  a  vacant  rectorship  in  Maine, 
he  writes  in  terms  which  evince  at  once  his  thorough  compre- 
hension of  the  case,  and  his  earnest  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of 
the  shepherdless  flock. 

Gardiner,  April  19th,  1855. 
"Reverend  and  Dear  Sir: — 

I  cannot  but  express  the  hope  that,  on  the  most  serious  and 
devout  reflection  upon  the  subject,  viewed  from  all  sides,  you 
will  be  able  to  arrive  at  a  conclusion  favorable  to  the  wishes  of 
our  friends  at .  On  the  two  points  which  you  have  sug- 
gested as  doubtful,  I  ought  to  offer  one  or  two  considerations, 
founded  upon  my  knowledge  of  the  circumstances. 

The  question  of  the  probable  capabilities  and  dangers  of  your 
physical  constitution,  a  stranger,  of  course,  could  not  decide. 
I  must  say,  however,  that  I  know  no  reason  for  supposing  the 
climate  of  this  region  to  be  more  unfavorable  to  any  class  of 
constitutions,  than  that  of  Massachusetts.  We  who  live  in  the 
interior  regard  our  cold  winters  as  bracing  and  invigorating.  I 
was  never  half  as  free  from  liability  to  colds  as  since  I  have 
lived  in  Maine.  With  a  person  who  is  decidedly  enfeebled,  it 
may  be  that  the  seacoast,  with  a  bleak  exposure,  may  involve 
something  beyond  the  average  degree  of  risk ;  but  I  think  that 
only  in  cases  of  marked  delicacy  can  the  difference  between  one 
part  of  New  England  and  another  be  very  serious. 

The  features  to  which  you  allude  in  the  congregation  at , 

though  I  wish  that  they  were  otherwise,  are  not  discouraging. 
They  really  love  the  Church ;  several  of  the  gentlemen  have 
considerable  depth  of  feeling  in  connection  with  the  great  truths 
of  the  Gospel,  and  will,  I  am  confident,  under  judicious  pastoral 
faithfulness,  shortly  become  communicants ;  and  the  worldliness 
apparent  in  their  mode  of  regarding  the  interests  of  the  parish  is 
in  great  part  the  result  of  the  general  spirit  of  enterprise,  sur- 
rounded by  which  they  live.  The  steady  force  of  well-directed, 
faithful  labor  will  work  upon  such  a  community,  much  more 
than  mere  attractiveness  of  style  and  elocution,  desirable  as 
these  may  doubtless  be.  And,  satisfied  as  they  now  are,  you 
need  not  fear,  I  think,  any  special  fickleness  of  mind. 

I  am  truly  anxious  to  see  them  well  and  soon  supplied  ;  and 
therefore  I  need  make  no  apology  for  these  suggestions.  Be- 
lieve me,  with  the  hope  that  you  may  be  there  the  instrument  of 
winning  many  souls, 

Your  brother  in  Christ." 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  221 

The  same  ever-recurring  sense  of  embarrassment,  from  fre- 
quent clerical  removals,  appears  again  in  a  letter  addressed  to 
one  who  had  himself  gone  to  another  Diocese,  but  who,  none 
the  less,  continued  to  cherish  a  warm  personal  regard  for  the 
Bishop,  and  a  lively  interest  in  the  fortunes  of  the  Church  in 

Maine.     • 

Gardiner,  May  21,  1861. 

"My  Dear  Mr.  :  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your 

letter  respecting  Mr.  C .  I  cannot  now  say,  but  I  have  en- 
closed it  to  Bath,  and  will  hold  it  in  remembrance,  should  an- 
other opening  be  offered,  which  I  think  not  improbable  within 
a  short  space.  We  are  indeed  suffering  through  these  changes, 
occurring,  as  they  do,  at  the  same  time  with  our  national  shock. 
But  the  one,  like  the  other,  I  have  good  hope,  will  end  in  the 
triumph  of  all  that  is  best,  'the  advancement  of  God's  glory, 
the  good  of  His  Church,  the  safety,  honor,  and  welfare  of  His 
people. ' 

Mrs.  Burgess  sends  her  kindest  regards  with  mine  to  Mrs. , 

and  we  do  not  forget  your  little  one. 

Affectionately  yours." 

That  it  should  have  been  painful,  and  even  difficult,  to  sunder 
the  ties  that  bound  one  to  such  a  Bishop,  cannot  well  be  doubted. 
It  was  seldom  done  without  an  earnest  struggle,  in  which  he,  on 
his  part,  left  no  resource  of  persuasion  untried.  He  clung  to  his 
clergy  with  a  tenacity  which  it  was  indeed  hard  to  overcome,  and 
no  faithful  minister  could  pass  from  under  his  oversight,  without 
feeling  that  the  separation  was  to  him  unwelcome  and  distressing. 
The  letters  written  by  him  to  clergymen  who  were  about  to  leave 
him,  present  his  character  in  a  most  amiable  light.  Gentle, 
frank,  large-hearted,  and  touching  but  lightly  on  the  hardship 
to  himself,  involved  in  the  lessening  of  his  scant  supply  of 
fellow-helpers,  these  communications  were  oftentimes  truly  affect- 
ing, and  infused  into  the  act  of  taking  leave  of  him  a  feeling 
of  most  sincere  regret.  How  likely  this  was  to  be  the  case 
may  be  judged  from  the  letters  given  below. 

Calais,  June  27,  1859. 

"My  Dear  Mr.  :  Your  letter  of  the  22d  has  been  for- 
warded to  me  here.  I  am  just  setting  out  on  my  return,  but  as 
it  is  to  be  by  the  way  of  Boston  and  Hartford,  I  must  not  wait 
so  long  without  sending  you  some  brief  reply. 


222  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

You  know  well  that  your  letter  could  not  but  cause  me  more 
regret  than  surprise,  after  our  late  conversations.  If  you  have 
already  decided,  and  communicated  your  decision,  I  can  but 
express  this  regret,  which  is  most  sincere  and  cordial.  Not  only 
have  our  relations  been  such  as  I  would  always  desire  with  the 
Rector  of  each  Parish,  but  our  frequent  intercourse  has  nourished 
.on  my  part  an  affectionate  esteem,  a  deep  conviction  of  your 
pastoral  zeal  and  fidelity,  and  a  confidence  in  your  successful 
exercise  of  your  ministry,  already  followed  by  a  great  blessing. 

Eastport,  II  A.M. 

I  must  finish  my  letter  rapidly  here. 

If  you  have  not  fully  decided  as  yet,  I  hope  you  may  still  con- 
sider the  question,  whether  the  pecuniary  motive  is  so  absolute. 
Several  of  our  clergy,  with  families,  have  lived  respectably  on 
smaller  salaries,  in  places  nearly  or  quite  as  expensive.  I  think 
your  estimate  of  household  expenses  excessive,  founded  as  it  is 
on  the  price  of  board. 

Your  success  at  B ,  in  building  up  such  a  Parish,  I  will 

not  doubt ;  but  it  is  toilsome,  and  there  are  many  contingencies. 

I  earnestly  pray  that  your  decision  may  be  so  guided  that  it 
may  be  most  for  your  happiness  and  the  benefit  of  Christ's 
kingdom.  To  these  considerations  all  else  must  yield.  But  I 
should  part  from  yoju,  if  it  must  be,  with  a  sorrow  which  I 
would  do  much  to  spare  myself. 

Affectionately  yours." 

The  two  remaining  letters  under  this  head  were  addressed  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Durell ;  the  first  in  view  of  his  contemplated 
resignation  of  his  cure,  and  the  other  after  he  had  communicated 
to  the  Bishop  his  decision  to  remain. 

Gardiner,  Sept.  17,  i860. 

"My  Dear  Mr.  Durell:  Had  I  known  your  intention,  I 
could  perhaps  have  said  something  to  induce  a  little  delay  of  the 
step  which  you  have  taken,  not  perhaps  on  your  account,  but  on 
that  of  our  poor  Eastern  border.  Anxious  for  Houlton ;  dis- 
tressed, I  might  almost  say,  for  Eastport,  I  do  feel  that,  with 
Calais  left  also  at  this  moment,  I  must  look  with  more  single- 
hearted  earnestness  than  ever  to  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  while 
I  fail  not  to  employ  all  means  to  bring  laborers  to  our  aid. 

But  it  is  now  too  late,  and  action  so  deliberate  on  your  part 
could  hardly  be  reconsidered;  unless,  of  which  I  entertain,  on 
re-reading  your  letter,  some  faint  hope,  it  may  have  proved  that 
the  arrears  could  be  and  were  made  up  without  delay.  Suppos- 
ing, however,  as  I  must,  that  this  has  not  hindered  your  purpose. 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS.  223 

and  that  the  tie  is  to  be  sundered,  I  must  still  ask,  Is  not  this  too 
sudden?  Is  it  quite  right  to  leave  with  a  fortnight's  notice,  a 
parish  which,  from  its  remoteness,  it  must  be  so  difficult  to 
supply?  I  do  not  know  whether  you  have  any  invitation  in  your 
hands,  which  demands  so  immediate  acceptance;  but  if  not,  I 
beg  to  suggest  a  sufficient  postponement  of  your  departure  to 
allow  of  some  measures  for  the  choice  of  a  successor.  Why 
not  till  the  middle  or  close  of  November?  If  you  know  any 
one  with  whom  you  would  like  to  leave  the  parish,  knowing  it  as 
you  do,  let  me  know,  or  draw  the  attention  of  the  Vestry  to 
him.     I  shall  urge  every  inquiry  in  every  quarter " 

Gardiner,  September  25,  i860. 

"  My  Dear  Mr.  Durell:  Your  letter,  as  you  are  well  assured, 
lifted  a  great  weight  from  my  mind ;  and  I  am  deeply  grateful 
for  all  the  personal  feelings  towards  myself,  which  have  entered 
into  your  decision.  Those  feelings  indeed  must  not  govern  ; 
but  I  trust  that  they  are  not  those  of  mere  regard  for  me,  but  of 
participation  in  the  burden  of  responsibility  and  of  care  for  the 
Church  which  is  imposed  upon  me.  You  bear  it  with  me  ;  and 
at  your  post,  are  much  more  towards  the  Church  in  general, 
than  many  a  Rector  in  parishes  of  far  greater  wealth  and  num- 
bers. 

I  am  most  devoutly  thankful  that  you  can  remain,  and  quite 
willing  that  you  should  make  me  responsible  for  it  as  far  as  you 
can  and  will.  And  now  we  must  endeavor  so  to  bind  the  tie, 
that  it  may  not  be  subject  to  these  painful  shocks.  Of  course, 
we  should  all  rejoice,  could  the  Parish  of  St.  Anne's  be  entirely 
independent ;  but  we  must  not  urge  it  beyond  its  real  ability, 
and  it  would  be  much  better  for  the  Diocese  to  contribute  freely 
towards  sustaining  you  there,  than  to  suffer  the  loss  of  your  aid, 
and  still  have  to  contribute  equally  in  order  to  obtain  a  compe- 
tent successor,  with  uncertain  results. 

I  would  not  urge  any  specific  plan  ;  still  less,  relieve  your 
own  people  at  Calais  from  any  just  and  reasonable  charge  :  but 
I  am  very  anxious  that  you  should  not  be  exposed  to  anxiety, 
and  to  the  painful  excitement  of  feelings  on  each  side. 

Am  I  asking  too  much,  also,  if  I  propose  that,  should  the 
subject  of  a  removal  be  brought  pressingly  before  you  in  any 
way,  you  will  communicate  with  me  before  presenting  it  to  your 
people  ?  I  would  not  oppose  any  course  which  seemed  either 
necessary  or  greatly  for  your  interest ;  and  any  step  in  either  di- 
rection, taken  after  such  consultation,  would  be  attended  with 
greater  satisfaction  of  mind  ;  while  in  some  instances,  difficulties 
might  really  be  removed. 


224  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

To-morrow  our  Board  meets  at  Dresden.     How  much  I  wish 
that  you  could  be  with  us  more  often,  and  longer  ! 
With  very  kind  regards  to  Mrs.  Durell,  I  am 

Affectionately  yours." 

In  concluding  this  section,  a  few  words  may  properly  be 
added,  with  reference  to  the  Bishop's  personal  intercourse  with 
his  clergy  in  private.  This,  of  course,  would  naturally  vary 
somewhat  in  color  and  manner,  according  to  the  age  of  the  in- 
dividual, his  congeniality  to  the  Bishop's  taste,  and  the  extent  of 
their  acquaintance.  There  was  about  him  a  certain  habitual 
quietness  of  bearing,  which,  to  one  who  saw  him  for  the  first 
time,  might  perhaps  appear  to  offer  a  barrier  to  closeness  of  ac- 
quaintance. But,  when  one  came  to  see  more  of  him,  and  to  be 
identified  with  interests  and  pursuits  which  he  had  much  at  heart, 
this  impression  of  reserve  was  altogether  removed.  He  never, 
it  is  true,  laid  aside  the  dignity  and  gravity  of  character  that 
were  natural  to  him,  as  well  as  becoming  to  his  station  in  the 
Church.  But  within  these  bounds,  his  clergy  found  him  at  once 
cheerful,  genial,  and  sufficiently  familiar.  There  was  in  his 
nature  a  vein  of  delicate  humor,  which,  when  he  saw  fit  to  in- 
dulge it,  rendered  his  society  extremely  agreeable.  No  man 
could  have  a  keener  appreciation  of  the  comic  side  of  things  : 
none  enjoyed  more  thoroughly  the  pith  and  marrow  of  an  amus- 
ing incident ;  none  had  a  better  relish  for  the  whimsical  peculi- 
arities of  individual  character,  as  they  chanced  to  fall  under  his 
observation.  He  was  as  ready  as  any  one  to  join  in  laughter 
over  a  well-told  story,  and,  in  his  own  quiet  way,  did  not  dis- 
dain, on  fitting  occasions,  to  contribute  to  the  common  fund  of 
cheerfulness.  But  the  great  staple  of  his  conversation,  when  he 
was  with  his  clergy,  was  of  themes  that  had  a  bearing  less  on 
entertainment  than  on  self-improvement.  He  delighted  in  ex- 
changing views  with  them  on  matters  of  general  literature,  on 
questions  of  theology,  on  points  of  Christian  experience,  on  im- 
portant movements  in  the  Church,  and  on  such  secular  affairs  as 
might  appear  to  have  a  bearing  on  the  higher  interests  of  hu- 
manity. His  talk  was  delightful,  stimulating  and  enriching  to 
the  mind  of  the  listener.  In  conversations  of  this  description, 
he  had  a  habit  of  philosophizing  much,  and  would  often  open 


THE  BISHOP  AS  PASTOR  OF  PASTORS. 


225 


up  a  train  of  the  most  profound  reflection  on  the  subject  under 
remark.  To  social  "small-talk,"  those  vocal  nothings  that  make 
up  the  staple  of  so  much  of  the  conversation  that  takes  place,  pro- 
bably no  man  was  ever  less  inclined.  With  his  enormous  read- 
ing, added  to  his  great  capacity  for  thought,  his  utterances 
abounded  both  in  suggestiveness,  and  in  wealth  of  illustration. 
Intercourse  with  such  a  Bishop  could  but  tend  to  produce  a 
studious  and  thoughtful  body  of  clergy.  Both  by  word  and 
by  example,  there  was  a  great  moulding  power  in  his  influence 
over  those  who  were  permitted  thus  to  look  into  his  own  habitual 
tone  of  mind.  It  was  by  this  reflected  and  indirect  agency  that, 
for  the  most  part,  he  sought  to  bring  his  influence  to  bear  upon 
them,  and  not  by  more  dogmatic  and  preceptive  methods.  It  was 
seldom,  and  only  in  extreme  cases,  that  he  resorted  to  direct  ap- 
peals of  remonstrance  or  of  exhortation,  to  shape  the  conduct  of 
those  who,  under  him,  were  employed  in  sacred  ministrations.  He 
was  always  forbearing  and  indulgent  to  the  highest  degree,  in 
his  judgment  of  clerical  conduct ;  patient  of  personal  foibles  and 
weaknesses ;  given  to  passing  over  in  silence,  whatever  might 
receive  a  charitable  construction  \  rebuking  rarely  and  with  the 
utmost  mildness ;  and  resorting  to  discipline  only  as  a  last  neces- 
sity, when  all  other  means  had  been  tried  and  failed.  Wonder- 
fully free  from  a  tendency  to  suspicion,  his  eyes  would  be  sure 
to  be  the  last  to  be  opened  to  an  instance  of  ministerial  misconduct, 
and  even  after  the  proofs  had  been  forced  on  his  unwilling 
notice,  the  whole  tenderness  of  his  nature  seemed  to  flow  forth 
to  encircle  the  offender.  No  one  who  ever  knew  him  well,  could 
possibly  suppose  him  to  be  one  who  was  hasty  to  condemn,  or 
eager  to  punish.  In  the  exercise  of  this  branch  of  his  high  office, 
his  leaning  was  ever  to  the  side  of  mercy.  Three  of  our  blessed 
Lord's  beatitudes  seem  to  be  singularly  descriptive  of  the  character 
of  our  departed  Bishop  : — 

"  Blessed  are  the  meek  ;  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth." 
"  Blessed  are  the  merciful ;  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy." 
"  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart ;  for  they  shall  see  God." 

15 


226  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

XXXI. 

LETTERS. 

After  the  preceding  section  was  completed,  letters  were 
brought  to  light,  some  extracts  from  which  will  further  illustrate 
the  Bishop  as  Pastor  of  Pastors,  and  show  him  as  he  bore  daily 
the  care  of  all  the  churches,  and  even  the  care  of  the  individual 
members  of  those  churches. 

"  Should  the  misconduct  of  the  individual  become  so  notorious, 
that  any  persons  are  found  who  are  ready  to  sustain  charges  by 
evidence,  it  will  become  a  duty  to  interpose ;  but  I  would  advise 
you,  even  in  that  event,  to  consult  specially  with  me  before 
approaching  her  on  the  subject.  As  to  her  connection  with  the 
Ladies'  Circle,  it  will  be  better  to  leave  that  to  their  own  regu- 
lation. They  will  find  means  of  avoiding,  at  least,  that  she 
should  have  a  prominent  part;  but  it  is  better  that  the  clergy- 
man should  not  be  brought  in,  so  long  as  the  whole  matter  may 
very  possibly  be  within  the  region  of  vague,  intangible  scandal. 
For  those  who  allege  her  attendance  at  divine  service  as  an 
excuse  for  their  non-attendance,  the  simple  statement  should  be 
enough,  that  no  one  has  the  power  or  right  to  drive  her  away 
from  the  house  of  God.  You  can  say  also,  that  if  any  state- 
ments are  made,  which,  if  duly  sustained,  should  exclude  her 
from  the  communion,  and  which  any  credible  persons  are  pre- 
pared to  sustain,  you  will  forward  them  to  me,  your  own  author- 
ity being  imperfect.  It  would  be  quite  right,  however,  both  in 
your  discourses  and  in  private  conversation  with  her,  so  to  speak 
of  the  danger  of  unworthy  receiving,  as  may  be  adapted  to  deter 
her,  if  she  is  so  unworthy ;  and,  before  the  next  communion,  you 
might  read  the  whole  of  the  notice  which  contains  so  solemn  a 
warning." 

Several  months  later,  the  same  subject  called  forth  the  follow- 
ing letter : — 

"In  my  late  visit  to ,  I  made  inquiry  respecting  some 

reports  of  conduct  on  the  part  of ,  a  communicant  of 

your  parish,  which,  as  it  was  stated,  had  given  grounds  of  of- 
fence and  suspicion  to  the  congregation,  and  was  interpreted  by 
many  as  indicating  her  to  be  '  an  open  and  notorious  evil  liver. ' 
I  must  beg  of  you  to  communicate  to  her  the  contents  of  this 
letter,  as  she  was  absent  at  the  time. 


LETTERS.  227 

It  would  be  unjust  to  pronounce  that  these  reports  were  proved 
to  be  true,  without  having  had  an  opportunity  of  hearing  what 
she  might  say  in  reply.  But  I  should  give  my  advice  that,  as 
she  certainly  has  been  regarded  by  others  with  suspicion  and 
distrust,  and  as  there  have  been  undoubtedly  some  circumstances 
which  have  given  occasion  for  this,  she  shall  refrain  from  the 
Holy  Communion  until  she  shall  have  shown,  by  a  very  circum- 
spect mode  of  living,  and  by  the  removal  of  all  such  suspicious 
circumstances,  that  she  either  was  free  from  guilt,  or  has  re- 
nounced it  with  effectual  repentance.  I  should  think  a  period 
of  six  months  not  too  long. 

Let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  this  is  not  a  sentence  of 
suspension  from  the  Communion,  for  I  have  not  heard  her 
defence.  But  it  is  the  course  which  I  recommend  to  her,  and  I 
think,  if  she  is  indeed  a  Christian  woman,  she  will  be  willing  to 
follow  it,  and  so  to  regulate  her  conduct,  especially  as  to  living 
alone  and  receiving  the  visits  of  men  in  private,  as  to  give  no" 
further  occasion  for  censure  or  suspicion.  May  God  give  her 
grace  to  do  what  is  acceptable  in  His  sight!" 

His  appreciation  of  discouraging  circumstances,  yet  his  hope- 
fulness and  his  unwillingness  to  abandon  a  post  once  selected, 
appear  in  the  following  extracts: — 

"I  am  by  no  means  disposed  to  think  of  abandoning  the  sta- 
tion, or  diminishing  the  payment,  if  the  amount  be  necessary; 
but  it  may  be  important  that  the  field  be  somewhat  widened  by 
missionary  labor,  such  as  you  have  undertaken,  in  the  neighbor- 
ing towns.  Your  own  continuance,  after  the  close  of  your 
Diaconate,  must  be  much  at  your  option.  The  remuneration  is 
most  inadequate,  and  could  I  offer  you  a  more  cheerful  field  for 
your  services,  and  one  where  they  would  be  better  repaid,  I 

should  rejoice.     I  am  sure  that  they  are  honored  at  ■ and 

among  all  your  brethren." 

"I  see  no  other  way  with  regard  to  the  Parish  at ,  but 

to  build  it  up  by  patient,  prayerful  labor,  under  God's  blessing. 
Time  may  bring  aids  and  opportunities." 

Notwithstanding  the  difficulty  which  the  Bishop  experienced 
in  supplying  the  vacancies  left  by  the  constant  removal  of  the 
clergy,  the  following  series  of  extracts  from  his  letters  to  them  will 
show  with  what  kindly  feelings  he  parted  from  them,  and  how 
far  he  was  from  reproaching  them  for  seeking  more  inviting 
fields  of  labor.  Instead  of  throwing  obstacles  in  the  way  of 
their   removal,    he   not   unfrequently    recommended    them    for 


2  28  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

positions  of  more  importance,  when  he  thought  that  it  was 
a  duty  which  he  owed  both  to  them  and  to  the  Church.  So  well 
was  this  understood,  that  his  brother  Bishops  did  not  hesitate  to 
write  to  him  and  ask  if  he  had  any  clergyman  in  his  diocese 
whom  he  could  recommend  for  such  or  such  a  post,  well 
knowing  that  if  the  right  man  for  the  place  were  there,  his  truth- 
fulness and  his  enlarged  views  of  his  duty  to  the  whole  Church 
would  not  suffer  him  to  withhold  the  information. 

This  habit  of  looking  to  Maine  for  supplies  was  becoming  so 
alarming,  as  to  justify  the  remark  made  by  one  of  the  clergy, 
that  Maine  seemed  to  be  the  hunting-ground  for  the  whole 
Church. 

"  I  am  much  indebted  to  you  for  the  kindness  of  your  last  two 
letters,  and  deeply  appreciate  the  feelings  which  you  express 
towards  this  Diocese,  the  people  who  were  your  parishioners  at 

,  and  myself.     It  is  one  of  the  disadvantages  incidental  to 

a  new  and  weak  diocese  that  we  must  often  part  with  those  whom 
we  would  most  gladly  retain,  for  want  of  a  sufficient  number 
and  variety  of  stations,  to  secure  and  repay  their  different  ser- 
vices. I  submit  without  a  thought  of  repining,  and  rather 
rejoice  that,  when  we  have  no  right  to  expect  the  satisfaction  of 
keeping  excellent  brethren,  they  should  do  a  good  work  well 
elsewhere." 

"I  have  inclosed  your    Dimissory  Letter  to  Bishop  at 

once,  and  the  transfer  will  be  complete  when  I  hear  from  him 

that  it  is  accepted.     My  next  act  will  be  to  transfer  Mr.  in 

the  same  manner,  and  Mr. is  to  go  next  month.     May  God 

give  us  men  as  good  and  faithful !" 

"  I  trust  that  in  your  present  position  you  will  find  every  encou- 
ragement and  blessing.  But  there,  as  here,  it  will  be  wise  to  over- 
come, rather  than  to  attempt  to  satisfy,  that  thirst  for  more  sym- 
pathy in  your  work  from  those  around  you,  which  you  have 
rather  painfully  felt.  A  certain  substantial  sympathy  you  will 
always  have  from  all  Christian  people  ;  but  constant,  equal,  ap- 
preciative sympathy  in  all  your  studies,  plans,  daily  pursuits, 
tastes,  peculiarities,  would  be  possible  from  very  few ;  and  not 
the  most  unquestionable  of  benefits,  if  it  could  be  had.  But 
sympathy  is  mutual ;  and,  so  far  as  it  is  needful  to  your  comfort, 
it  will  best  be  created,  by  letting  your  heart  go  out  in  strong 
sympathy  with  the  wants,  cares,  feeling  and  hopes  of  your  fellow- 
men. 

in  releasing  you,  my  dear  brother,  from  all  episcopal  charge 
and  counsel  of  mine,  I  can  but  commend  you  to  the  unfailing 


LETTERS.  229 

grace   of  the   Holy  Spirit,  and  assure   you  of  my  affectionate 
thoughts  and  prayers,  should  our  connection  never  be  renewed." 

"  it  will  be  to  me  a  great,  a  very  great  satisfaction,  if  you  can 
be  retained  amongst  us  now,  when  we  are  threatened,  or  are 
already  afflicted,  with  such  serious  losses.  I  do  not  attempt  to 
strive  against  that  which  cannot  be  avoided  \  but  I  should  part 
with  you  with  exceeding  regret ;  and  I  cannot  but  believe  that, 
remaining  on  your  native  soil,  and  laboring  patiently  on,  you 
will  build  up  for  yourself  as  much  of  usefulness  and  happiness, 
in  due  time,  as  can  be  expected  elsewhere." 

"There  can  be  little  doubt  that,  with  your  riper  experience, 
your  more  practical  knowledge  of  what  is  required  in  preaching, 
and  your  fuller  acquaintance  with  the  place  and  people,  as  well 
as  in  your  character  of  presbyter  and  full  pastor,  you  can  accom- 
plish more  in  the  second  year  than  in  the  first.  I  shall  therefore 
rejoice  and  have  good  hope,  if  it  should  be  so  ordered  that  you 
may  remain  another  year  5  and  it  is  beyond  all  question,  for  the 
interest  of  the  Parish.  Nor  can  you  be  regarded  as  spending  to 
little  purpose  the  time  which  you  spend  there ;  nor  is  the  Parish 
one,  in  all  its  bearing,  '  of  the  least  among  the  thousands  of 
Israel.'  It  is  a  post  which,  if  it  be  well  maintained,  may  be  of 
wider  and  more  lasting  influence  than  many  which  are  far  more 
encouraging. 

A  different  sphere  would  certainly  stimulate  your  energies  to 
more  cheerful  activity ;  and  I  cannot  blame  you  for  desiring 
more  animating  influences  around  you.  But  do  not  rely  upon 
these  influences  ;  for  if  you  do,  you  will  miss  them  everywhere. 
Is  there  nothing  of  the  kind,  too,  in  the  very  needs  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  you  are?  Is  there  not  an  impulse  to  a  kind  of 
preaching  and  of  pastoral  earnestness,  which  may  call  in,  awaken 
and  turn  the  ungodly  ? 

,0n  the  whole,  however,  I  should  advise  you  to  be  guided  by 
the  intimations  of  God's  Providence.  At  present,  it  is  possible 
for  you  to  remain ;  all  desire  it ;  and  you  are  doing  good. 
Should  any  call  be  presented,  which  seems  to  promise  a  far  wider 
usefulness  and  a  much  happier  lot,  I  could  not  press  you  to  de- 
cline it ;  but  I  hope  that  you  will  not  seek  it ;  and  I  trust  that 
you  will  not  accept  any,  where  the  preponderance  of  motives  is 
not  clear  and  decided  ;  something  more  than  merely  an  easier 
place  or  more  welcome  society.  But  I  am  as  far  as  possible 
from  regarding  you  as  shrinking  from  any  duty,  however  labori- 
ous or  self-denying.  The  past  year  has  proved  the  contrary ; 
and  whatever  may  eventually  be  your  choice,  I  shall  be  satisfied 
that  you  have  devoted  yourself  faithfully  to  your  high  work. ' ' 

"  It  cannot  surprise  me,  n6r  lead  me  to  blame  you  in  the  least, 
that  you  should  desire  another  field.    I  do  not  indeed  think  that 


230  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

your  time  has  been  wasted  at ,  nor  that  it  would  be,  should 

it  all  be  spent  there  ;  and  I  believe  that  you  would  see  increasing 
fruit  with  every  year.  Were  I  in  your  place,  I  greatly  doubt 
whether  I  should  seek  a  change.  In  the  ministry,  I  believe  him 
to  be  safest,  who  permits  Providence  to  open  his  way  without 
much  effort  of  his  own.  The  necessity  of  a  support  is,  of  course, 
an  exception  ;  and  so  is  a  strong  impulse  from  within,  towards 
a  missionary  labor.  When  one  is  without  employment,  it  is  as 
far  as  possible  from  being  a  dishonor  .to  place  himself  in  its  way; 
and  for  the  same  reason,  when  the  situation  which  he  holds  is 
one  which  yields  him  no  adequate  support,  or  to  which  he  seems 
not  adapted. 

Whenever  you  are  obliged  to  leave ,  either  for  lack  of 

support,  or  because  it  seems  unadvisable  to  continue  the  aid  given 
to  the  Parish,  I  should  gladly  aid  your  settlement  elsewhere. 
Whenever  you  are  called  thence  to  any  other  post,  I  should  not 
offer  an  objection,  whether  it  were  within  or  without  the  Diocese. 
But  simply  to  leave  it,  not  to  take  another  missionary  station,  for 
I  understand  that  you  were  less  willing  to  undertake  the  work 

at or  at ,  but  from  preference  for  a  larger  field,  for 

less  solitary  toils,  or  a  place  where  there  is  less  of  hardness  to  be 
endured,  is  not  a  case  so  clear.  Sometimes,  in  these  instances, 
a  clergyman  is  left  quite  unsettled  ;  and  places  which  are  really 
more  promising,  are  more  likely  to  find  him  out  in  due  time 
than  to  be  found  by  him. 

All  this,  however,  should  by  no  means  interfere  with  journeys 
to  visit  your  clerical  friends,  with  preaching  in  different  places, 
and  becoming  known  in  every  way.  If,  as  the  result,  you  should 
be  summoned  elsewhere,  now  or  hereafter,  you  might  go  with 
a  good  conscience. 

I  will  cheerfully  give  any  recommendation  which  the  circum- 
stances may  require  and  justify,  when  any  particular  opening^ is 
presented.  To  write  to  any  of  my  brethren,  and  recommend 
generally  a  clergyman  of  my  own  Diocese,  for  any  desirable 
position  which  might  be  offered,  would  be  a  step  somewhat  liable 
to  be  misunderstood  ;  but,  if  you  desire  such  a  letter  to  any  par- 
ticular Bishop,  I  will  give  it.  It  will  be  with  great  regret  that  I 
shall  part  with  you,  should  it  so  be.  But  we  are  pilgrims  here ; 
and  God  will  order  all." 

"  I  am  very  sensible  of  the  discouragements  under  which  you 
labor ;  though  I  cannot  indeed  think  them  unparalleled,  nor  re- 
gard your  life  at ,  if  it  were  continued  for  several  years,  as 

otherwise  than  honorably  and  usefully  spent.  Nor,  do  I  see  any 
reason  why,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  the  Church  should  not 
increase  there  as  well  as  elsewhere.  •  Time,  I  trust,  will  open  for 
you  the  place  where  you  may  find  all  which  you  miss  at , 


LETTERS.  231 

In  the  meanwhile,  it  has  occurred  to  me  that  a  minister  of  the 
Church  in  such  a  place,  might  do  well  to  acquire  and  preserve 
a  local  influence,  by  interesting  himself,  perhaps  more  than  is 
usual  with  our  clergy,  in  the  general  affairs  of  the  community. 
The  influence  of  an  intelligent,  educated  man,  of  high  principle 
and  religious  spirit,  cannot  but  be  for  great  good,  and  would 
react  upon  the  cause  of  the  Church." 

In  the  preceding  letter,  the  Bishop  recommends  a  course 
which,  in  the  earlier  years  of  his  ministry,  both  in  Hartford  and 
Gardiner,  he  successfully  followed ;  to  show  interest  in  the  local 
affairs  of  the  people  among  whom  his  lot  was  cast.  In  both 
places,  he  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  education,  and 
gave  much  of  his  time  to  the  public  as  a  member  of  school  com- 
mittees, and  in  both  places  had  much  to  do  with  the  establish- 
ment of  public  High  Schools.  During  the  first  year  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Maine,  he  often  assisted  literary  societies,  struggling 
for  existence,  by  delivering  gratuitous  lectures.  This  he  was 
willing  to  do,  partly  that  he  might  encourage  literary  tastes  and 
efforts,  and  partly  because  it  made  him  known  to  some,  before 
whom  he  could  not  easily  come  officially.  As  his  duties  increased, 
and  the  Church  became  better  known  in  Maine,  he  thought  this 
course  less  necessary,  and  gradually  withdrew  from  the  lecturing 
field,  preferring  to  devote  all  his  energies  to  less  indirect  labor 
for  his  Diocese. 

''  It  will  be  very  important  to  be  assiduous  in  visiting.  Your 
friends  apprehend  most  from  the  shy  and  reserved  habits,  which, 
if  at  all  natural,  grow  so  easily  upon  the  student.  I  hope  you 
will  disappoint  all  such  fears.  The  people  amongst  whom  you 
will  be,  love  frankness,  energy,  and  familiarity.  In  your  preach- 
ing, too,  you  will  do  well  to  study  a  popular  mode  of  address, 
and  avoid  too  much  disquisition." 

Other  letters  to  young  clergymen  contain  cautions  which  may 
have  saved  them  from  much  trouble.  In  one  he  advises  to  have 
little  to  do  with  the  choir,  avoiding  especially  being  entangled 
in  the  disputes  which  so  often  disturb  its  harmony.  In  another 
he  urges  the  utmost  circumspection  and  prudence,  in  intercourse 
with  the  ladies  of  the  parish,  that  there  might  be  no  ground 
given  for  reports  which  would  be  detrimental  to  a  clergyman's 
influence.     Other  extracts  might  be  given,  which  would  show 


232  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

that  he  could  "reprove"  and  "rebuke,"  as  well  as  "exhort 
with  all  long  suffering  and  doctrine,"  but  they  are  of  too  private 
and  personal  a  nature  to  be  laid  before  the  public. 


XXXII. 

HISTORICAL  TASTES  AND  PURSUITS. 

This  Section  has  been  prepared  with  much  kindness  and  care, 
by  the  Rev.  Edward  Ballard,  D.D.,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Brunswick,  Maine.  He  is  well  fitted  for  the  task,  by  his  long 
and  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  Bishop,  by  his  own  historical 
tastes,  and  by  his  official  position  for  several  years  as  Secretary 
of  the  Maine  Historical  Society. 

In  common  with  the  young,  the  Bishop's  love  for  the  narra- 
tives of  the  past  was  developed  in  the  days  when  the  world  was 
new  to  his  thoughts.  With  the  eager  curiosity  of  that  age,  which 
excites  restlessness,  and  is  gratified  with  the  novelty  of  things 
"  done  a  great  while  ago,"  he  took  pleasure  in  the  histories  of 
the  nursery.  As  he  grew  older,  this  taste  was  increased  by  read- 
ing. His  memory,  naturally  strong,  by  cultivation  became 
stronger,  and  he  could  in  his  turn  repeat  to  others  the  tales  of 
olden  times,  which  had  been  interesting  and  instructive  to  him- 
self. His  imagination  here  came  into  play ;  and  even  in  his 
boyhood  he  would  arrest  the  attention  of  the  younger  members 
of  the  family,  by  the  narrative  of  facts,  or  by  inventions  of  fancy 
that  seemed  like  facts.  It  is  remembered  of  him,  that  when  the 
evening  hour  required  their  repose,  he  thus  quieted  their  minds, 
excited  by  the  events  of  the  day,  and  aided  its  fatigues  to  induce 
sleep. 

This  combination  of  his  powers,  in  the  use  of  his  memory  and 
imagination,  was  happily  illustrated  in  a  poem  of  considerable 
length,  describing  a  stirring  portion  of  English  History,  from 
which  the  following  extract  is  taken.  It  was  written,  as  appears 
from  his  own  memorandum,  when  he  was  about  fifteen  years  old. 
It  shows  not  only  the  character  of  his  reading  at  that  age,  but 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  PURSUITS.  233 

specially  the  deep  and  living  impressions  made  on  his  mind,  by 
the  fierce  activities  of  the  warlike  scene.  It  has,  too,  the  flowing 
ease  of  versification  which  appeared  in  the  poetical  writings  of 
his  later  life. 

"  I  came  where  hosts  were  armed  to  shake 
The  walls  beside  Moral's  sweet  lake ; 
And  choosing  chief  who  mock'd  at  paries, 
I  march'd  behind  Burgundian  Charles  : 
And  'scaping  from  that  gory  day, 
That  half  his  phalanx  mow'd  away, 
To  win  his  notice  was  my  chance, 
Beside  his  steed  to  bear  a  lance. 
To  bleed  on  Nanci's  fatal  plain. 
When  treason  stretch'd  him  mid  the  slain. 
Thence  journeying  to  another  land, 
I  joined  Henriques'  gallant  band. 
Who  spread  their  canvas  from  the  mast, 
To  seek  the  spicy  southern  blast. 
To  tell  each  burning  clime  and  sight 
Might  cheer  a  gossip's  winter  night. 
Return'd,  I  mingled  with  the  spears 
Of  old  St.  John's  stout  chevaliers. 
Who  held  at  bay  the  Paynim  host, 
That  leaguer'd  round  their  sandy  coast." 

We  may  the  less  wonder  at  his  facility  in  grouping  events  in 
this  form,  when  we  are  apprised  of  the  fact,  from  his  own  memo- 
randa, that  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  in  connection  with  the 
studies  usually  given  to  children  at  a  later  date,  he  was  reading 
Plutarch's  Lives,  and  the  memoir,  partly  fact  and  more  fiction, 
of  Baron  Trenck.  A  year  later.  Goldsmith's  Rome  occupied 
his  attention.  In  the  following  year,  with  Virgil,  he  was  reading 
his  translation  by  Dryden,  Shakspeare,  Marmion,  Don  Roderic, 
and  Goldsmith's  England;  and  before  his  sixteenth  year  was 
completed,  while  proceeding  in  a  thorough  course  of  academic 
and  college  studies,  and  a  wide  range  of  poetic  reading,  in  which 
Scott's  Poems,  as  fast  as  they  appeared,  formed  a  part,  he  had 
read  the  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,  by  Bernal  Diaz, 
Hume  and  Smollet's  History  of  England,  Clarke's  Travels, 
Gibbon's  Rome,  the  Cyropedia,  Chateaubriand's  Palestine  and 
Memoirs,  Sully's  Memoirs,  Hollinshed's  Chronicles,  Fuller's 
Worthies  of  England,  Gillies'  and  Mitford's  Greece.  These 
were  followed  the  next  year  by  De  Lolme  on  the  British  Con- 
stitution, and  Hallam  on  the  Middle  Ages. 


2^4  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

In  these  wisely  selected  works,  with  others  of  less  prominent 
character,  he  laid  a  deep  and  strong  foundation  for  the  love  and 
pursuit  of  historical  knowledge,  whose  attainments  were  increas- 
ing through  every  year  of  his  life.  He  valued  the  past,  not  only 
for  its  own  interest,  but  for  its  power  in  aiding  to  shape  the 
events  of  the  future,  by  lending  freely  its  wisdom  to  direct  com- 
ing actors.  To  his  knowledge  of  the  lessons  taught  by  history, 
must  be  ascribed  much  of  that  steadfastness  of  purpose  and 
action,  which  marked  his  course  through  life,  and  especially  in 
the  clerical  and  Episcopal  portions  thereof. 

It  was  in  accordance  with  this  characteristic  of  his  mind,  that 
he  gave  his  attention  to  the  History  of  America,  from  the  time 
of  its  discovery,  through  its  progress  to  our  own  day,  and  es- 
pecially to  that  part  of  it  which  he  loved  as  his  country.  What- 
ever he  gained  from  the  many  pages  of  history,  was  made  to 
contribute  to  the  main  purpose  of  his  life,  the  better  understand- 
ing and  elucidation  of  that  Book,  which  presents  the  oldest  his- 
tory, and  contains  truth  unto  salvation. 

When  he  had  changed  his  decision  from  the  profession  of  law 
to  that  of  theology,  he  at  once  saw  the  importance  of  bring- 
ing all  his  knowledge  of  ancient  history,  to  bear  directly  on 
this  new  department  of  study.  At  this  period  we  find  him  the 
student  of  Mosheim,  Milner,  Jahn,  Neander,  and  others  of 
acknowledged  merit.  He  was  especially  interested  in  search- 
ing out  the  connections  between  sacred  and  secular  history,  as 
presented  in  Shuckford  and  other  writers,  more  or  less  fully;  and 
particularly  in  the  valued  volumes  of  Prideaux.  He  gave  his 
patient  endeavor  to  acquire  familiarity  with  the  events,  by  which 
the  history  of  the  chosen  people  of  God  was  modified  by  their 
contact  with  surrounding  nations,  in  traiific,  wars,  victories,  and 
defeats,  and  by  the  seductions  of  their  idolatries.  The  sacred 
narrative  was  his  constant  guide ;  and  his  thorough  knowledge 
of  its  leading  personages  and  their  actions,  as  affecting  the  Jew- 
ish nation,  the  neighboring  communities  and  remoter  peoples, 
enabled  him  to  follow  easily  the  several  authors  in  their  learned 
efforts,  to  show  how  the  events  of  the  world  at  that  day  were 
interlaced  with  the  governments  of  Samaria  and  Jerusalem,  to 
bring  about  the  destruction  of  both. 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  PURSUITS.  235 

The  history  of  the  Christian  Church  was  a  subject  of  even 
deeper  interest  and  study.  As  a  minister  of  that  Church,  he 
realized  how  essential  it  would  be  to  his  own  satisfaction  and 
his  efficiency,  that  he  should  thoroughly  acquaint  himself  with 
its  origin  and  progress,  amid  defections,  calamities,  and  success. 
How  well  he  learned  the  lessons,  is  known  to  those  who  have 
listened  to  his  instructive  conversation,  and  his  public  discussions, 
where  this  knowledge  came  in  to  form  or  strengthen  his  argu- 
ment. At  all  times,  when  this  field  was  opened,  there  appeared 
to  be  no  part  of  it  which  his  practised  quest  had  not  reached  ; 
and  none,  where  his  ready  eye  could  not  see,  on  the  instant,  the 
facts  needed  for  his  purpose.  His  readiness  in  this  department 
of  study  bore  a  semblance  to  that  of  the  veteran  who  describes 
the  scenes  in  which  he  has  taken  a  leading  part.  He  thus  gained 
an  entire  satisfaction  with  the  institutions  of  the  Church,  with 
her  doctrines,  with  her  Apostolic  ministry  and  her  Liturgy,  all 
which  are  of  history,  and  are  to  endure.  The  following  extract 
from  his  Charge  to  the  Clergy  in  1850,  displays  the  results  of 
historical  research  : — 

"The  excellency  of  our  Church  consists  in  this,  not  that  it 
stands  apart  as  a  sect  claiming  to  be  purer  than  all  others,  but  that 
it  is  in  fact  the  succession  of  that  Church  which  once  included 
all  Christians  of  our  language  and  lineage.  Having  never  aban- 
doned that  position,  it  is  still  the  parent,  the  basis,  the  bulwark 
of  all  their  religion,  and  unites  them,  through  a  faith  transmitted 
from  the  beginning,  and  through  sacraments  in  an  equally  long 
succession,  to  the  original  fellowship  of  the  Apostles." 

The  historical  proof  of  all  the  statements  in  this  extract  were 
as  clear  to  his  mind  as  those  that  sustain  the  canon  of  Scripture, 
or  indeed  of  any  event  whatever ;  and  he  was  ever  ready  to  es- 
tablish the  fact  of  the  commencement  of  Episcopacy  with  the 
organization  of  the  Christian  form  of  the  Church,  by  the  fullest 
reference  to  his  abundant  stores  of  knowledge,  gathered  from 
the  many  centuries,  during  which  its  truth  was  never  denied  or 
disputed. 

One  of  the  earliest  results  of  the  Bishop's  historical  research, 
given  in  print,  he  modestly  named  "  Pages  from  the  Ecclesiastical 
History  of  New  England  during  the  century  between  1740  and 
1840." 


236  MEMOIR  OF  B  J  SHOP  BURGESS. 

His  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  religious  condition  of  the 
people  of  the  Eastern  States,  from  their  earliest  settlement,  quali- 
fied him  to  show  the  successive  steps  in  the  change,  which  re- 
moved the  Trinity  from  the  obligations  of  faith,  and  swept  not 
only  Calvinism  out  of  its  path,  but  portions  of  the  truth  on 
which  it  claims  to  rest.  He  performed  this  work  at  intervals  in 
the  columns  of  the  "Episcopal  Observer,"  a  paper  issued  at 
Hartford,  while  he  was  the  Rector  of  Christ  Church  in  that  city. 
The  articles  gained  a  wide  circulation  through  the  columns  of 
other  periodicals.  The  ability  displayed  in  the  work,  and  the 
interest  excited  in  his  clear  and  forcible  statement  of  facts  led 
to  the  request  for  its  publication  in  a  form  better  suited  for 
preservation.  The  consent  was  given  in  1847.  I^i  a  modest 
advertisement,  introducing  the  "  Pages"  to  the  reader,  he  says: — 

"  The  opinions  which  are  implied,  relate  to  subjects  on  which 
no  Christian  can  desire  disguise.  The  inferences  which  are  in- 
volved are  as  much  with  the  reader  as  with  the  writer. ' ' 

The  history  opens  with  a  reference  to  the  condition  of  the 
Church  as  left  by  the  Reformation,  which  "tore  down  images 
and  shrines  within  the  temple  of  Christian  doctrine ;  but  left  the 
foundations,  the  walls  and  the  columns  as  they  had  stood, 
through  the  revolutions  of  ages."  It  then  touches  upon  the  er- 
roneous teaching  regarding  the  nature  of  the  Son  of  God,  in 
European  writers ;  and  so  brings  into  view,  by  historical  steps, 
the  changes  that  were  about  to  appear  in  the  New  World,  where 
the  people,  with  a  sincere  heart,  had  sought  what  they  deemed 
a  purer  faith  and  regimen,  on  the  bleak  wilds  of  our  North 
American  shores.  Here,  not  a  few  of  the  descendants  forsook 
the  principles  of  their  ancestors,  and  what  the  latter  received  as 
truths  never  to  be  relinquished,  came  to  be  denied  as  hurtful 
errors  by  the  most  gifted  and  brilliant  of  the  former,  in  state- 
ments and  advocacy,  mild  and  guarded  at  first,  but  in  the  end 
open,  daring,  and  firm. 

The  following  extract  will  show  the  Bishop's  judgment  as  to 
the  ability  of  the  Puritan  system  exhibited  here,  to  keep  out  the 
innovation. 

"  The  founders  of  the  chief  colonies  of  New  England  were  of 
one  heart  and  one  mind  ;  and  this  was  the  source  of  a  great 
error  in  their  ecclesiastical  system.  It  forgot  that  never  again 
could  the  community  which  they  founded,  be  what  it  was  at 
first ;  that  they  had  collected  and  brought  into  the  wilderness  a 
peculiar  people,  but  must  afterwards  meet  human  nature  as  it 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  PURSUITS.  237 

arose,  in  all  its  varieties.  They  could  exclude  from  their  com- 
munion, or  banish  from  their  territory,  the  man  who  would  not 
share  their  faith  ;  but  they  could  not  decide  the  character,  nor 
annul  the  birthright  of  the  children  who  should  succeed  in  their 
places." 

The  sequel  was  in  harmony  with  this  recital.  The  "Half- 
way Covenant"  was  one  of  the  movements  to  show  the  workings 
of  the  system  ;  and  from  the  time  when  "Whitfield  first  passed 
like  a  cloud  over  New  England,  with  thunder,  lightning  and 
rain,"  there  was  a  path  opened  for  a  progress  from  the  truth  of 
the  Trinity,  and  an  atoning  Saviour,  to  the  final  abandonment  of 
both,  till  at  length,  "the  one  bond  of  union  amongst  the  liberal 
teachers,  was  a  denial  of  a  threefold  distinction  in  the  Godhead." 
"  The  Unitarian  ministry  affirmed  that  Jesus  was  a  teacher  di- 
vinely appointed ;  that  He  wielded  a  control  over  external 
nature  ;  that,  at  the  close  of  a  spotless  life.  He  sealed  His  mission 
with  His  blood  ;  and  that  He  reappeared  on  the  third  day  after 
His  crucifixion,  as  a  pledge  of  human  immortality.  It  affirmed 
no  more;"  and  yet,  "as  if  through  all  his  negations,  a  gleam 
from  the  heaven  of  truth  had  shot  in  at  sunset,"  the  gifted  Chan- 
ning,  in  his  last  public  address,  said  that  "  the  doctrine  of  the 
Word  made  flesh,  shows  us  God  uniting  Himself  most  intimately 
with  our  nature,  manifesting  Himself  in  a  human  form  for  the 
very  end  of  making  us  partakers  of  His  own  perfection. "  "  The 
doctrine  of  grace,  as  it  is  termed,  reveals  the  Infinite  Father  im- 
parting His  Holy  Spirit,  the  best  gift  He  can  impart,  to  the  hum- 
blest human  being  who  implores  it ;  "  and  he  concluded  with 
Avords  which,  "as  a  rhetorical  apostrophe,  would  be  almost  pro- 
fane, and  as  a  prayer,  would  be  at  variance  with  the  efforts  of 
his  life  :  '  Come,  Friend  and  Saviour  of  the  race,  who  didst  shed 
thy  blood  on  the  cross,  to  reconcile  man  to  man,  and  earth  to 
heaven  ! '  " 

But  this  glimmer  of  truth  from  the  ancient  temple,  had  not  an 
attraction  sufficient  to  lead  the  wanderers  back  to  its  shelter. 
They  were  pressing  on  in  the  opposite  direction.  They  sought 
a  new  fabric  made  by  human  skill.  "  Of  all  the  doctrines  which 
distinguish  the  Christian  religion,  there  remained  only  the  divine 
mission  of  Jesus.  His  exercise  of  miraculous  power  and  His 
resurrection,  were  facts  of  history.  About  these  two  facts  and 
this  one  doctrine  men  lingered,  as  if  around  two  majestic  col- 
umns sustaining  a  broken  architrave,  the  only  fragments  of  some 
once  perfect  and  resplendent  temple.  At  length,  the  spirit  of 
improvement  prompted  the  question,  whether  the  ground  should 
not  be  cleared,  that  it  might  be  the  site  of  a  new  and  nobler 
edifice.  The  answer  was  heard  from  the  spade  and  pickaxe  of 
transcendental  impiety. ' ' 


238  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

The  interest  of  these  "Pages"  consists,  not  alone  in  the  trac- 
ing of  the  change  through  the  events  of  the  century,  and  showing 
how  a  slight  departure  at  the  beginning,  when  ''Arianism  had 
only  been  named  as  a  distant  heresy,"  widened  in  its  course  far 
away  from  the  anciently  received  truths.  It  is  to  be  found, 
and  with  deep  admiration,  in  the  complete  familiarity  of  the 
Bishop  with  the  times  and  with  the  skilful  workmen,  by  whom 
the  original  doctrines  were  sapped,  that  bolder  hands  might 
effect  their  overthrow.  He  appears  as  if  he  had  lived  in  each 
year,  manifesting  a  knowledge  of  earlier  writers,  which  in  later 
ones  he  gained  from  personal  acquaintance  and  observation. 
The  sermons,  the  tracts,  the  reviews  and  the  volumes,  pertain- 
ing to  a  controversy  that  was  fraught  with  anxiety  and  bitterness, 
were  all  within  his  reach.  His  eye,  practised  in  research,  caught 
the  salient  points  of  character  and  doctrine ;  and  if  he  had  actu- 
ally lived  with  the  disputants  of  those  years,  he  could  hardly 
have  shown  more  facility  in  description,  or  more  accuracy  in 
the  survey  of  each  step  of  the  decline  from  the  ''cruciform 
structure  of  the  temple  of  doctrine,  the  reflection  of  its  triune 
glory,  and  the  one  atoning  sacrifice,"  through  questionings  of 
doubt,  to  disbelief  and  rejection.  The  concluding  paragraph  is 
a  history  of  this  departure  and  its  result. 

"So,  through  the  passage  of  a  century,  doubt  has  struggled, 
and  conquered  and  prevailed.  It  began  with  silence  on  some 
of  the  more  mysterious  doctrines  of  Christianity  ;  it  ended  with 
a  denial  of  all  doctrines  save  one.  It  began  with  an  appeal 
from  human  creeds  to  the  simple  language  of  inspiration  ;  it 
ended  with  denying  the  inspiration,  and  discarding  the  language. 
At  first,  infusing  itself  into  upright  minds,  with  the  air  of  scrip- 
tural inquiry,  it  caused  a  theological  mistake ;  then,  spreading 
the  shining  mist  of  liberality  over  the  cold,  the  vain,  the  worldly, 
the  timid,  the  presumptuous,  it  nourished  a  stupendous  heresy  ; 
and  finally,  forcing  a  bolder  order  of  thinkers  back  upon  them- 
selves, it  issued  in  a  wilderness  of  popular  unbelief.  But  the 
spirit  which  loves  to  doubt,  can  but  depart,  by  its  very  nature, 
farther  and  farther  from  the  high  regions  of  celestial  faith.  He 
who  sees  the  flakes  of  snow  gathering  along  the  tide  of  the  hum- 
blest Alpine  brook,  well  knows  that,  though  kingdoms  lie  be- 
tween, they  must  descend  till  they  reach  the  sea." 

At  an  early  time  of  the  Bishop's  residence  in  Maine,  the  His- 
torical Society  of  the  State  secured  a  large  share  of  his  interest. 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  PURSUITS.  239 

and  continued  to  receive  many  benefits,  from  his  knowledge  of 
general  and  local  history.  By  a  unanimous  election,  he  was 
made  a  member  of  this  body  at  its  annual  meeting  in  September, 
1851,  and  ever  after  gave  his  aid  in  the  promotion  of  the  objects 
which  its  friends  had  taken  in  charge,  and  which  the  Legislature 
had  authorized  by  enactment,  and  encouraged  by  a  liberal  grant 
of  public  land.  By  previous  appointment,  he  delivered  the 
address  at  the  annual  meeting  at  Brunswick,  in  August  of  the 
year  1854,  which,  at  the  request  of  the  Society,  was  given  for 
publication,  and  appeared  in  the  fourth  volume  of  its  "  Collec- 
tions." 

In  this  address  he  entered  fully,  and  with  all  the  spirit  of 
fresh  acquaintance,  into  the  history  of  the  State,  both  in  its 
general  character,  and  the  many  events  that  made  its  early 
stages  scenes  of  frontier  hardihood,  in  opposing  Indian  cruelty, 
prompted  and  sustained  by  French  cupidity.  He  took  for  his 
theme  the  four  periods  in  which  its  progress  naturally  divides 
itself.  The  first,  embracing  the  space  of  seventy  years,  from 
the  first  colonial  occupation  of  the  soil  of  New  England  by 
English  settlers,  under  the  leadership  of  the  venerable  George 
Popham,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec,  to  the  date  when  "  Mas- 
sachusetts was  constrained  to  procure  by  fair  purchase,  the  large 
inheritance  which  she  had  long  sought  by  injustice,"  and  so  be- 
came the  possessor  of  the  "  Province  of  Maine."  The  second 
period  extended  through  the  havoc,  desolation,  and  partial  aban- 
donment effected  by  the  Indian  wars.  The  third  came  down 
to  the  day  when  the  Province  assumed  the  attitude  and  relations 
of  a  State,  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  separate  government.  The 
last  period  commenced  with  that  change,  and  is  going  forward 
into  the  future. 

In  the  elucidation  of  the  points  in  these  several  portions,  every- 
where instructive  under  his  treatment,  he  speaks  of  the  traits  in 
the  character  of  the  people  of  Maine,  as  the  result  of  the  "state 
of  confused  incipiency"  in  the  earlier  portion,  combined  with 
the  weakness  and  poverty  of  the  settlements.  With  his  discrimi- 
nating perception  of  causes  in  action,  he  says:  "the  stricter  vir- 
tues of  the  Puritans  might  be  somewhat  wanting' '  to  the  venturers 
into  the  forests.  But  "as  little  were  the  settlers  likely  to  possess 
the  faults  of  the  Puritans  ;  their  narrowness ;  their  tendency  to 
spiritual  pride ;  their  indiscriminate  hostility  to  old  usages,  often 
quite  as  innocent  as  their  own,  and  more  significant  and  beauti- 
ful." There  was  no  one  great  event  in  their  antecedents  to 
"impress"  upon  them,  "a  prevailing  character  to  betoken  its 


240  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

origin,  as  in  persecution  or  resistance  to  time-bound  supersti- 
tion. ' '  "But  the  circumstances  of  place  and  occupation,  and  the 
influence  of  a  few  remarkable  persons,  might  fix  some  several 
and  distinctive  stamp  on  the  men  of  Agamenticus,  Sheepscot, 
and  Saco.  This  absence  of  common  recollections  of  early  in- 
stitutions, of  ancient  customs,  of  traces  plowed  into  the  heredi- 
tary feeling  and  habits  of  a  whole  people,  is  seen  in  Maine  at 
this  day,  as  it  is  not  seen  abroad.  In  the  frame  of  Massachu- 
setts we  perceive  everywhere,  the  prints  of  that  idea  which  ani- 
mated her  civil  and  ecclesiastical  polity  at  the  first ;  the  idea  of 
independency;  the  resistance  to  higher  control ;  a  single  princi- 
ple which  still  gives  to  very  wide  diversities  a  certain  unity. 
Rhode  Island  was  the  asylum  of  persecuted  opinions;  and,  to 
this  day,  the  social  freedom  with  which  different  religious  bodies 
grow  side  by  side  in  that  little  State,  is  unequalled ;  for  what 
was  toleration  elsewhere,  was  equality  there.  Connecticut  was 
almost  homogeneous,  was  quiet,  was  retired  ;  and  its  people 
are  yet  like  their  forefathers,  reverential,  steadfast,  consistent. 
Neither  of  these  pictures  represents  the  inhabitants  of  Maine. 
The  period  which  has  just  passed  before  us  left  them  no  heredi- 
tary convictions  or  institutions.  Its  work  was  only  negative ; 
and  the  issue  is,  that  where  you  encounter  a  citizen  of  Maine, 
you  have  no  cause  to  infer,  from  the  simple  circumstance  that  he 
was  born  here,  anything  whatever  concerning  his  special  opinion 
on  themes  the  most  serious  and  sacred.  Whatever  it  be,  it  will 
be  freely  held,  and  freely  avowed.  So  much,  and  so  much  only, 
results  from  the  anarchy  of  the  first  sixty  years."  And  then,  in 
referring  to  the  statutory  enactments  of  the  present  period,  in 
which  alone  the  State  has  acted  for  itself,  he  said  :  "  The  char- 
acter of  a  State  is  not  merely  the  cause,  but  also  an  effect  of 
legislation  ;"  and  added,  in  respect  to  its  action  here,  "  It  may 
have  been  defective  or  excessive,  narrow  or  loose,  hasty  or  slow; 
but  it  has  been  practical,  direct  and  popular,  frugal  and  absti- 
nent. It  has  had  small  respect  of  persons.  It  has  tended 
toward  equality  in  every  privilege.  It  has  cherished  common 
education.  It  has  sedulously  guarded  the  social  rights  of  indi- 
vidual freedom.  It  has  paused  when  its  own  work  was  done, 
and  left  to  the  private  man  his  private  duty.  It  has  neither  aimed 
at  vast  results,  nor  slighted  manifest  utility.  It  has  been  the 
plain,  manly,  just,  and  sparing  legislation,  which  was  adapted 
to  secure  the  most  obvious  of  real  benefits,  and  to  develop  the 
energies  of  patient  industry.  So  far  it  has  wrought  already. 
It  has  formed  a  people  like  itself,  free  in  spirit,  full  of  practical 
sense,  and  just  to  one  another  and  to  all  mankind." 

This  address  throughout  bears  the  marks  of  the  Bishop's  close 
and  patient  research  ;  for  no  one  could  draw  into  its  compass 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  PURSUITS.  241 

SO  many  of  the  minute  details  of  our  history,  except  by  the 
toil  of  persevering  study,  and  a  memory  that  could  keep  its 
treasures  to  surrender  them  at  call,  and  thus  illustrate  the  high 
purpose  of  reaching  the  truth  always  present  in  his  mind ;  to 
"  listen  to  both  sides,  till  facts  and  arguments  prevail.  While 
ingenuity  is  attractive,  and  partiality  may  be  pardonable,  truth 
is  holy,  and  history,  true  history,  is  truth." 

The  first  event  in  the  first  period  in  the  history  of  Maine 
always  had  a  deep  place  in  the  regard  of  the  Bishop.  The 
colony  of  Popham,  in  the  aboriginal  province  of  Sabino,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Kennebec,  as  it  was  the  first  public  act  for  the  in- 
troduction of  civilization  into  New  England,  with  the  protection 
of  English  law,  so  it  was  the  first  to  inaugurate  the  worship  of 
God,  with  clerical  services  in  the  English  tongue.  On  two 
occasions  he  turned  the  attention  of  his  Convention  to  this  early 
matter,  and  said  :  "These  services  were  unquestionably  those 
of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  England ;  and  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  this  first  recorded  instance  of  public  worship  in  New 
England  was  attended  by  the  use  of  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer."  Through  the  death  of  the  principal  persons  concerned 
in  the  enterprise,  a  winter  of  unusual  severity,  and  calamity  by 
a  destructive  fire,  the  colony  broke  up  in  the  coming  year.  The 
place,  however,  was  re-occupied  in  the  next  summer,  though  not 
with  the  same  colonial  arrangements.  But  notwithstanding 
these  changes,  the  Bishop  saw  how  the  ecclesiastical  influences 
thus  introduced  were  continued  a  few  years  afterward  at  another 
point  farther  west  "under  the  patronage  of  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges,  the  first  proprietor  of  the  Province,  a  warm  Protestant 
and  Episcopalian,  of  all  whose  plans,  the  establishment  of  the 
doctrines  and  usages  of  his  own  Church  form  a  distinguished 
part."  He  employed  these  facts  as  the  commencement  of  a 
brief  narrative  of  the  Church  in  Maine,  down  to  the  time  of  his 
Address  to  his  Convention,  and  closed  it  with  the  remark,  that 
"it  is  not  an  uninteresting  reflection,  that  this  soil  was  first 
trodden  by  the  feet,  and  first  consecrated  by  the  prayers  of 
Christians  of  our  own  communion.  We  need  not  dwell  upon 
the  fact  with  undue  earnestness;  but  it  is  at  least  a  grateful  re- 
membrance." 
16 


2  42  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

It  is  therefore  to  be  supposed  that  he  would  afford  his  en- 
couragement to  the  commemoration  of  the  first  chartered 
English  occupancy  of  our  soil,  when  it  was  proposed  to  give  a 
public  expression  to  the  historical  interest  of  the  State  in  the 
"  celebration  of  the  first  founding  of  our  race  on  these  shores." 
The  day  selected  for  the  purpose  was  the  256th  anniversary, 
August  29th,  1862.  The  Historical  Society  of  the  State  lent  its 
efficient  aid.  The  Committee  on  the  celebration  invited  the 
Bishop  to  take  charge  of  the  religious  services  of  the  day;  and, 
at  his  suggestion,  provided  and  distributed  copies  of  the  Order 
for  Morning  Prayer  from  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  in  use 
during  the  reign  of  James  I.,  under  whose  charter  of  April  19th, 
1606,  this  colony  was  founded,  as  well  as  all  the  settlements 
in  New  England  and  Virginia  for  at  least  a  third  of  a  century 
thereafter.  A  i^^  modifications  adapted  it  to  the  change  of 
national  circumstances.  It  was  used  on  an  elevated  platform 
erected  for  the  purpose  of  the  celebration,  on  the  parade  of  the 
works  of  the  new  fort,  bearing  the  distinguished  name  of 
Popham.  The  Bishop's  impressive  figure,  as  the  ocean  breeze 
fluttered  his  robes  in  the  open  air,  added  dignity  to  his  manner 
in  leading  the  worship.  Response  and  choral  music  lent  their 
aid  to  its  proprieties.  To  all  the  solemnity  the  gathered  thou- 
sands of  citizens  listened  with  marked  interest  and  respect;  while 
by  the  fortress  in  the  process  of  erection  and  the  monumental 
stone  inserted  in  its  walls,  "the  people  of  Maine  will  be  reminded 
that  their  first  debt  of  historical  reverence  is  due  to  men  who 
never  withdrew  themselves  from  the  Church  of  their  native  land, 
with  its  Episcopate  and  Liturgy."* 

He  had  also  been  requested  to  deliver  one  of  the  Addresses 
before  the  large  assemblage  later  in  the  day,  at  the  Pavilion, 
erected  on  another  part  of  the  Peninsula  of  Sabino.  In  yielding 
to  this  solicitation,  he  chose  for  his  subject,  Richard  Seymour, 
the  chaplain  of  the  colony,  the  first  English  clergyman  who 
ever  officiated  on  the  New  England  shores,  whose  name,  and 
the  fact  that  a  Church  had  been  built  within  the  original  Fort 
St.   George,  had  been    lately  brought  to  light  by  the  publica- 

*  Address  to  Convention  1S63,  p.  12, 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  PURSUITS.  243 

tions  of  the  Hakluyt  Society  for  1849.  This  production,  though 
brief,  displays  an  unusual  acumen  in  tracing  genealogical  rela- 
tions in  their  various  widening  branches,  and  an  acquaintance 
with  family  history,  amid  all  the  difficulties  of  a  remote  period, 
both  intimate  and  accurate.  Step  by  step  he  proceeded  in  the 
investigation,  until  he  reached  the  conclusion  that  he  was  a 
direct  descendant  of  the  house  of  Seymour,  the  second  among 
the  English  nobility ;  one  of  whom,  the  Duke  of  Somerset, 
during  the  minority  of  Edward  VI.  as  Lord  Protector  governed 
the  realm.  He  thus  states  the  result  of  his  thorough  investiga- 
tion of  this  portion  of  English  biography. 

"  Mr.  President:  Who  was  Richard  Seymour?  And  why 
should  he  be  remembered  with  honor? 

The  house  of  Seymour,  the  second  among  the  English  no- 
bility, first  rose  to  eminence  through  the  elevation  of  Queen 
Jane,  the  daughter  of  Sir  John  Seymour,  the  favorite  wife  of 
Henry  the  Eighth,  and  the  mother  of  Edward  the  Sixth.  Her 
brother.  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  became  Earl  of  Hertford,  and 
in  the  minority  of  his  nephew,  King  Edward,  was  created  Duke 
of  Somerset,  and  governed  the  realm  as  Lord  Protector.  He 
was  twice  married,  and  his  second  wife,  Anne  Stanhope,  being 
a  lady  of  high  descent,  it  was  made  a  part  of  his  patent  of 
nobility,  that  his  titles  should  first  be  inherited  in  the  line  of  her 
children,  and  only  in  the  event  of  the  failure  of  that  line,  should 
pass  to  his  children  by  his  first  wife,  Catherine  Fillol,  and  their 
descendants.  Accordingly,  the  honors — forfeited  when  "the 
Good  Duke,"  as  the  Protector  was  called,  perished  on  the 
scaffold — being  afterwards  restored,  passed  down  in  the  younger 
line,  till  it  expired  in  Algernon,  Duke  of  Somerset,  in  1750; 
when  they  reverted  to  the  elder  line,  in  which  they  continue  till 
this  clay. 

Li  the  mean  time,  this  elder  branch  had  been  seated,  all 
along,  at  Berry  Pomeroy,  in  Devonshire,  a  few  miles  from  Tot- 
ness,  from  Dartmouth,  and  from  the  sea.  The  eldest  son  of  the 
Protector,  Sir  Edward,  a  Christian  name  which  continued  in  the 
eldest  sons  for  eight  generations,  died  in  1593.  His  son.  Sir 
Edward,  the  grandson  of  the  Protector,  was  married  in  1576, 
and  died  in  1613,  having  had,  according  to  one  account,  five 
sons ;  according  to  another,  three  ;  besides  four  daughters.  The 
youngest  son,  according  to  both  accounts,  bore  the  name  of 
Richard  ;  and  this  great-grandson  of  the  Protector  Somerset, 
was,  I  suppose,  the  Richard  Seymour  who  was  the  chaplain  of 
the  Popham  Colony.     The  case  is  sustained  as  follows : — 


244  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

There  is  no  other  person  of  the  name  known  in  genealogical 
history.  Among  sixty-nine  male  descendants  of  the  Protector, 
he  is  the  only  Richard. 

His  age  corresponds  with  the  chronology  of  the  occasion. 
His  father  having  married  in  1576,  the  youngest  of  three,  or 
even  of  five  sons,  might  well  have  been  born  within  ten  years 
after,  so  as  to  have  been,  in  1607,  a  young  clergyman  just  from 
the  university.  What  more  probable  than  that  such  a  young 
man  should  be  attracted  by  this  noble  adventure,  as  it  happened 
to  be  in  the  hands  of  his  immediate  friends  ? 

His  residence  corresponds  with  the  locality  of  the  enterprise. 
It  was  within  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  of  Plymouth,  and  amongst 
those  gentlemen  of  Devonshire  who  chiefly  formed  the  company 
with  whom  this  undertaking  originated.  Of  the  Plymouth  com- 
pany, of  1620,  his  brother,  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  was  one  of  the 
incorporated  members. 

This  brings  us  to  the  most  decisive  circumstances,  which  are 
not  a  little  interesting  in  the  light  which  they  cast  upon  the 
history  of  the  colony.  At  Dartington,  close  by  Berry  Pomeroy, 
was  then,  and  still  is,  the  seat  of  the  old  family  of  Champer- 
noun,  which  'came  in  with  William  the  Conqueror.'  Francis 
Champernoun,  who  came  to  Maine  as  one  of  the  councillors 
under  the  patent  of  Gorges,  and  settled  at  Kittery,  was  the 
nephew  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges.  Therefore,  either  Gorges 
himself,  or  his  sister,  or  his  sister-in-law,  must  have  married  a 
Champernoun.  Gorges  was  Governor  of  Plymouth,  and  was 
the  soul  of  these  expeditions  long  after. 

The  mother  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was  also  a  Champernoun ; 
and  as  she  was  of  course  the  mother  also  of  his  half-brother,  the 
gallant  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  it  follows  that  his  son,  Raleigh 
Gilbert,  the  admiral  of  this  expedition,  was  the  grandson  of  a 
Champernoun,  and  had  an  affinity  with  Gorges  through  that 
family. 

Sir  John  Popham  had  several  children,  amongst  whom  was  a 
daughter,  Elizabeth,  who  was  married  to  Sir  Richard  Cham- 
pernoun ;  and  thus  there  was  affinity  between  the  families  of 
Gorges,  Gilbert,  and  Popham,  through  the  household  at  Dar- 
tington. 

Sir  Edward  Seymour,  the  father  of  Richard  Seymour,  was 
married,  as  has  been  said,  in  1576,  and  his  wife  was  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Sir  Arthur  Champernoun ;  and  thus  the  chain  of 
relationship  is  complete  between  the  families  of  Gorges,  Raleigh, 
Gilbert,  Popham,  and  Seymour. 

Richard  Seymour,  therefore,  the  son  of  Edward  Seymour, 
was  related  to  Gorges,  the  projector  of  the  colony ;  to  Popham, 
its  patron ;   to  Popham,  its  president ;    and  to  Gilbert,  its  ad- 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  PURSUITS.  245 

miral,  all  through  the  common  link  of  the  family  of  his  mother. 
When  they  sought  a  chaplain,  they  found  one  in  Richard  Sey- 
mour ;  and  no  other  Richard  Seymour  is  known  except  this 
relative  of  theirs.  May  we  not  regard  the  identity  as,  I  will  not 
say  demonstrated,  but  fairly  established,  to  the  extent  of  a 
reasonable  conviction  ? 

The  connection  between  the  families  of  Seymour  and  Popham 
ceased  not  with  that  generation.  Sir  John  Popham,  though 
Wellington,  in  Somersetshire,  was  his  birth-place  and  burial- 
place,  purchased  from  the  family  of  Darell,  to  which  the  grand- 
mother of  the  Protector  belonged,  the  seat  of  Littlecote,  in 
Wiltshire,  on  the  borders  of  Berkshire,  and  here  resided  his 
descendants.  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  grand-nephew  of  Richard 
Seymour,  married  Letitia  Popham,  daughter  of  Francis  Popham 
of  Littlecote,  and  had  a  son  named  Popham  Seymour  ;  and  the 
next  Sir  Edward,  his  eldest  son,  married  another  Letitia, 
daughter  of  Sir  Francis  Popham,  also  of  Littlecote.  This  here- 
ditary friendship  accords  with  the  association  on  this  spot. 

But  Richard  Seymour  has  his  honor,  this  day,  not  from  his 
memorable  descent,  but  from  the  place  assigned  him  by  the 
Providence  which  presided  over  the  destinies  of  this  now 
Christian  land.  He  was  not  the  first  English  clergyman  who 
ever  preached  the  Gospel  or  celebrated  the  Holy  Communion 
in  North  America :  that  honor  fell  to  Wolfall,  in  1578,  on  the 
shores  of  Newfoundland  or  Labrador.  He  was  not  the  first 
English  clergyman  in  the  United  States ;  for  Hunt  had  already 
begun  his  pastoral  office  on  the  banks  of  the  James.  He  was 
not  even  the  first  Christian  teacher  within  the  limits  of  Maine  ; 
for  L'Escarbot,  a  Huguenot,  had  instructed  his  French  asso- 
ciates in  1604,  on  an  island  in  the  St.  Croix. 

But  Seymour  was  the  first  preacher  of  the  Gospel  in  the 
English  tongue,  within  the  borders  of  New  England,  and  of  the 
free,  loyal,  and  unrevoked  portion  of  these  United  States.  Had 
he  inherited  all  the  honors  of  his  almost  royal  great-grandsire, 
they  would  have  given  him  a  far  less  noble  place  than  this,  in 
the  history  of  mankind. ' ' 

When  the  Historical  Society  of  the  State  improved  and  re- 
enacted  its  By-laws  in  1859,  a  new  provision  was  made  for  the 
office  of  a  Vice-President,  with  a  special  contemplation  that  the 
Bishop  should  be  the  first  person  to  occupy  that  position.  As  a 
testimony  to  his  interest  in  the  institution,  and  to  his  large  and 
valuable  acquisitions  in  this  department,  he  was  unanimously 
elected  to  this  office,  at  the  meeting  which  adopted  the  By- 
laws previously  proposed.     He  presided  at  several  of  the  special 


246  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

meetings  for  receiving  and  reading  papers,  in  the  absence  of 
the  President,  and  always  added  interest  to  its  gatherings, 
by  his  well  considered  remarks  on  the  subjects  presented,  and 
more  especially  by  his  brief  addresses  at  the  opening  of  the 
sessions.  Notes  were  taken  by  one  of  the  members,  and  the 
following,  without  attempting  to  furnish  the  beauty  and  accuracy 
of  the  Bishop's  style,  may  serve  as  a  specimen  of  his  readiness 
to  adapt  his  course  of  thought  to  the  needs  of  the  occasion. 

"  The  Vice-President  opened  the  meeting  with  a  graceful 
mention  of  the  President,  the  Hon.  William  Willis,  of  Portland, 
then  absent  in  a  distant  part  of  the  country,  and  of  his  long 
cherished  interest  and  activity,  in  promoting  the  efficiency  and 
the  increasing  success  of  this  institution.  He  then  referred  to 
the  year  of  the  present  meeting  (i860)  and  the  similar  date  in 
the  three  preceding  centuries,  denoted  by  the  numerals  '60, 
remarking  that  the  year  1560  was  distinguished  by  the  full  set- 
tlement of  the  Protestant  Reformation  in  England,  soon  after 
the  accession  of  Elizabeth  to  the  throne.  The  year  1660,  after 
the  uncertain  movements  of  Gen.  Monk,  was  marked  by  the 
restoration  of  the  Second  Charles,  with  the  commencement  of 
the  changes  in  civil  and  ecclesiastical  affairs  from  the  policy  of 
Cromwell,  consequent  on  that  event.  In  the  autumn  of  1760, 
George  the  Third  ascended  the  throne,  in  the  year  after  the 
fall  of  Quebec,  and  continued  in  his  government  through  a 
period  crowded  with  a  series  of  events,  which  opened  the  door 
of  revolution,  and  accomplished  the  separation  of  the  American' 
colonies  from  the  control  of  the  mother  country.  The  same 
period,  in  its  later  portion,  witnessed  the  career  of  the  First 
Napoleon,  in  its  beginning,  and  through  a  progress  that  termi- 
nated in  the  failure  of  his  great  and  brilliant  plans  of  conquest. 
Of  the  year  i860  and  its  future,  nothing  can  be  told  in  advance. 
The  past  shows  the  probabilities  of  the  vast  import  of  the  history 
to  be  formed  out  of  the  occurrences  of  the  time  to  come.  What 
will  be  the  history  which  those  events  will  leave  to  be  recorded  ! 

He  then  spoke  of  the  eminent  historians  who  have  died  within 
a  comparatively  short  period  ;  of  '  Prescott,  who,  under  extra- 
ordinary disabilities,  had  produced  volumes  of  rare  worth  in 
this  department ;  of  Hallam,  who,  with  judicial  impartiality, 
passed  through  the  intricacies  of  the  '  Middle  Ages,'  developed 
the  principles  of  the  British  Constitution,  and  traced  the  charac- 
teristics of  'English  Literature  ;'  of  Irving,  who,  to  say  nothing 
of  his  many  valued  labors,  has  presented  a  '  Life  of  Columbus' 
that  completes  all  that  can  be  desired  in  a  biography  of  the  great 
discoverer  ;  and  of  Macaulay,  whose  brilliancy  of  style  and  pic- 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  PURSUITS.  247 

turesqne  descriptions  have  gained  him  many  admirers.  The 
recent  departure  of  these  eminent  and  successful  laborers  in  the 
field  of  historic  research,  has  rendered  this  period  remarkable.' 

He  then  referred  to  '  the  designs  of  Historical  Societies, 
whose  functions  may  be  ranged  in  two  classes.  The  first  pur- 
pose is  to  preserve  documents,  and  prosecute  researches  into  the 
past ;  and  the  second,  to  nourish  a  taste  for  historical  studies  in 
general.  As  to  the  first  point,  local  inquiries  should  be  insti- 
tuted and  completed,  for  the  results  thereof  are  materials  of  his- 
tory. In  these  pursuits  nothing  is  too  small,  as  bearing  on  the 
history  of  a  state  or  nation.  The  minutest  facts  are  traced  and 
noted  in  matters  of  science,  and  the  same  should  be  much  rather 
done  in  the  life  of  man.  Legislative  aid  should  be  given  to  sus- 
tain these  pursuits.  On  the  second  point  he  remarked  that,  his- 
torical inquiries  had  scarcely  begun  to  present  what  they  are 
destined  to  bring  out  by  their  investigations.  He  referred  at 
some  length  to  the  mystic  treasures  of  Egypt ;  to  the  influence 
of  oriental  languages  upon  the  nations  of  the  present  hour  \  to 
ethnological  studies,  carrying  the  pursuits  of  the  scholar  into  the 
languages  of  the  early  nations  \  to  the  light  to  be  derived  from 
these  sources  for  the  better  understanding  of  the  sacred  volume ; 
and  to  the  examination  of  remaining  monuments,  that  indicate 
the  thought  of  a  people  who  had  no  written  language  for  its 
expression.' 

He  then  suggested  ^  a  department  of  inquiry,  of  singular 
use  in  fulfilling  the  designs  of  these  societies.  It  was  the  full 
gathering  of  the  different  kinds  of  traditions,  and  especially  those 
not  existing  in  books,  to  be  arranged  and  digested,  and  the  laws 
to  be  declared  for  enabling  us  to  jvidge  of  their  nature  and 
value.'  He  referred  to  'the  uncertainties  of  tradition,  as 
expressed  by  Lossing,  in  his  wish  to  be  accurate  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  events  so  recent  as  the  battles  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  the  well-known  discussion  about  the  part  taken  in  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill  by  General  Putnam.  The  aid  of  science 
maybe  called  on  to  confirm  or  correct  tradition.  This  was  illus- 
trated by  the  application  of  the  microscope  to  a  piece  of  skin 
nailed  to  a  church  door  in  England  centuries  ago.  The  examina- 
tionshowed  it  to  be  human,  and  thus  sustained  the  current  opinion. 
An  interesting  period,  where  reliance  on  tradition  is  all  the  source 
of  information  on  certain  points,  is  in  the  time  immediately  suc- 
ceeding the  completion  of  the  sacred  writings.  What  was  the 
life  of  the  Apostles  afterward?  Where  did  they  go?  What  did 
they  do?  Where  and  when  and  how  did  they  die?  Infidels, 
like  Strauss,  prepare  theories  of  the  origin  of  the  sacred  books, 
to  show  that  they  are  without  authority,  because  they  are  merely 
the  work  of  man.      But  here  tradition  is  invaluable,  and    the 


248  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Christian's  claim  for  the  exalted  character  and  authorship  of 
these  writings,  can  be  proved  by  the  recognized  laws  of  historic 
truth.' 

He  concluded  this  instructive  and  interesting  address,  deliv- 
ered without  notes,  by  referring  to  "the  sublimity  of  thought 
connected  with  the  study  of  history.  It  is  not  written  as  it  should 
be.  The  history  of  man  should  be  a  picture  of  his  actual  growth, 
vigor  and  destiny.  Where  this  is  duly  contemplated,  nothing  is 
more  interesting  or  sublime.  We  inquire  into  the  past,  and  again 
we  become  subjects  of  inquiry  to  our  successors." 

The  unanimous  wish  of  the  Society  was  expressed  in  a  resolu- 
tion, proposed  by  His  Excellency,  Gov.  Morrill,  and  seconded 
by  President  Woods,  of  Bowdoin  College,  requesting  the  Bishop 
to  write  out  his  remarks  for  publication  by  the  Society.  It  is  to 
be  regretted  that  they  have  been  preserved  only  in  the  imperfect 
report  given  above. 

The  largest,  and  by  no  means  the  least  valuable  and  interest- 
ing of  the  Bishop's  works,  in  the  portion  of  his  life  described  in 
this  section,  is  the  "Sketches  of  English  Church  History,"  some 
part  of  which  was  published  during  1866  and  1867,  in  "The 
American  Quarterly  Church  Review."  His  purpose  was  to  give 
an  account  of  the  Bishops  in  each  of  the  English  Sees,  naturally 
involving  biographical  notices,  with  considerable  detail,  of  the 
several  occupants,  in  their  connection  with  the  events  of  their 
Episcopates.  It  is  needless  here  to  speak  of  the  worth  and  the 
ability  apparent  in  these  pages,  as  they  are  successively  offered 
to  their  readers.  They  show,  as  do  all  his  efforts  in  this  field  of 
literary  labor,  a  most  familiar  acquaintance  with  persons  and 
contemporaneous  facts.  Even  the  poetry  of  the  period  gives  aid 
to  the  narrative,  thus  again  showing  the  wide  range  of  his  read- 
ing, and  how  easily  he  could  turn  all  available  sources  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  proposed  end,  and  proving,  as  has  been 
said  of  these  "Sketches,"  that  "they  have  all  the  character- 
istics of  that  accomplished  scholar."  To  appreciate  their  full 
value,  the  reader  should  know  as  much  of  the  period  and  the 
actors,  as  did  the  writer ;  and  no  one  will  venture  on  a  criticism 
with  safety,  until  he  has  measured  well  the  ground  occupied  in 
the  relation.  It  is  to  be  lamented  that  an  irreparable  loss  of  a 
part  of  the  manuscript  has  limited  the  work  to  five  of  the  English 
Sees. 


HISTORICAL   TASTES  AND  TUKSITTS.  249 

The  published  productions  of  the  Bishop  fail  to  show  all  the 
results  of  his  persistent  and  well-regulated  historical  study.  The 
farther  evidence  of  his  diligence  herein  is  preserved  in  large 
manuscript  volumes,  which  reveal,  far  more  than  the  printed 
pages,  the  great  extent  of  his  investigations,  and  his  ample  col- 
lection of  materials,  which  could  easily  have  been  expanded 
into  works  of  great  interest  and  value.  One  of  these  is  of  the 
nature  of  annals;  taking  up  the  portion  of  English  History  from 
1531  to  1593,  with  a  special  reference  to  the  ecclesiastical  events 
occurring  therein.  The  fulness  of  these  notices,  and  their  ar- 
rangement, betoken  how  carefully  he  had  directed  his  studies  to 
the  records  of  the  past,  and  are  indications  of  the  richness  of 
his  treasures  in  the  facts  of  the  time  considered.  Another  volume 
of  larger  dimensions  is  a  Chronological  Table,  beginning  with 
the  Christian  era,  and  coming  down  to  the  year  1861.  It  pre- 
sents not  only  many  of  the  events  in  the  several  years,  but  also, 
in  appropriate  columns,  the  leaders  in  public  affairs,  writers  in 
prose  and  poetry,  theologians,  historians,  navigators,  civilians, 
artists  and  others;  often  noting  the  year  and  sometimes  the  day 
of  their  birth.  The  method  pursued  in  the  construction  of  this 
Table  shows  it  to  have  been  no  mere  transcript  from  the  labors 
of  predecessors,  but  largely  the  product  of  his  own  research,  and 
made  ready  for  immediate  use  by  his  accuracy  in  regard  to  per- 
sons, facts,  and  dates. 

The  mention  of  the  Bishop's  instructive  volume,  entitled  "The 
Last  Enemy,"  does  not  properly  come  within  the  purpose  of  this 
chapter.  It  was  not  written  with  an  historical  design.  Yet  it  is 
pertinent  to  say,  that  scarcely  any  published  volume  of  its  size 
presents  so  many  historical  facts,  with  so  many  allusions  to 
personal  character,  compacted  in  as  few  pages,  as  are  found  in 
this  impressive  work.  It  is  another  proof  of  his  wide  extent 
of  reading  and  memory,  which  is  more  fully  shown  in  his  re- 
mark, that  in  its  preparation  the  material  left  out  was  much  more 
than  the  material  used. 

In  February,  1863,  the  Bishop  was  elected  a  corresponding 
member  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society. 

A  single  remark  remains  to  close  this  inadequate  attempt  to 
portray  the  Bishop's  decided  taste  for  historical  pursuits,  and  his 


250  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

contributions  proceeding  from  his  diligence  in  this  department 
of  literature.  From  whatever  he  wrote  or  spoke,  there  came  to 
the  reader's  or  listener's  mind,  the  deep  impression  that  his 
power  and  resources  had  been  but  partially  called  into  action. 
His  learning  here,  as  elsewhere,  resembled  the  broad,  deep 
ocean,  along  whose  shores  we  may  measure  the  ebb  and  flow  of 
its  constant  tides,  and  on  whose  surface  we  may  watch  the  cease- 
less movement  of  its  untired  waves  ;  but  with  each  moment  there 
will  come  into  the  thoughts  a  deeper  sense  of  the  silent,  majestic 
presence  of  the  mighty  flood  itself,  and  an  increasing  tribute  of 
awe  and  admiration. 


XXXIII. 

IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  BISHOPS. 

For  this  section,  the  editor  is  greatly  indebted  to  Rt.  Rev. 
Alfred  Lee,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Delaware.  It  is  inserted  without 
a  single  alteration. 

No  one,  well  acquainted  with  Bishop  Burgess,  could  doubt 
his  efficiency  and  influence  as  a  member  of  the  Upper  House  of 
the  great  legislative  council  of  our  Church.  His  extensive  and 
well-digested  learning,  his  sound  and  excellent  judgment,  his 
broad,  comprehensive  treatment  of  a  subject,  his  well-chosen 
language,  his  calm  and  dispassionate  manner,  were  admirably 
adapted  to  the  House  of  Bishops.  In  that  comparatively  small 
assemblage  of  men  of  mature  and  disciplined  minds,  mere  ora- 
tory avails  little,  and  arts  that  move  and  influence  a  large  popu- 
lar body  are  thrown  away.  The  subjects  considered  are,  for 
the  most  part,  such  as  are  already  familiar,  and  upon  which  their 
opinions  have  been  nearly  formed.  Solid  facts  and  cogent  argu- 
ments can  alone  command  attention,  or  affect  the  decision  of  a 
question.  The  tone  of  discussion  there  is  simple  and  direct, 
colloquial  rather  than  declamatory,  admitting  a  more  frank  and 
unreserved  expression  of  views  and  feelings,  than  a  more  nume- 
rous and  promiscuous  assemblage.  And  one  of  the  principal 
reasons  for  the  private  sessions  of  that  house,  is  the  importance 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  BISHOPS.  251 

of  preserving  this  unembarrassed  and  confidential  interchange 
of  opinion.  At  the  introduction  of  Bishop  Burgess  into  this 
House,  in  1850,  with  characteristic  modesty  he  at  first  took  little 
share  in  discussion.  At  each  successive  meeting  he  became  more 
prominent,  and  in  none  did  he  more  freely  express  his  senti- 
ments, or  occupy  a  more  commanding  position,  than  in  1865. 

This  sketch  applies  to  his  course  in  the  House  of  Bishops,  as 
a  branch  of  the  General  Convention,  whose  action  is  recorded  in 
the  journal.  In  regard  to  other  meetings  of  the  Bishops  of  the 
Church,  in  their  jtidicial  capacity,  it  need  only  be  said,  that  no 
one  evinced  greater  solicitude  for  maintaining  unsullied  the 
purity  of  the  Church,  and  the  high  character  of  its  chief  minis- 
ters. 

One  of  the  first  important  subjects  in  which  Bishop  Burgess 
took  part,  indicated,  very  strikingly,  his  freedom  from  any  ten- 
dency to  enhance  the  prerogatives  of  his  office,  and  his  respect 
for  the  rights  of  his  brethren  of  the  clergy  and  laity. 

The  question  as  to  the  discretion  of  a  Bishop,  in  accepting  or 
refusing  letters  dimissory,  had  become  one  of  great  interest  in 
1850.  The  House  of  Clerical  and  Lay  Deputies  evinced  a 
strong  desire  to  have  this  point  settled,  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
secure  the  right  of  a  parish  to  obtain  the  services  of  any  clergy- 
man of  the  Church,  in  regular  standing,  whom  the  parish  might 
see  fit  to  invite.  Accordingly,  an  amendment  to  this  effect  was 
made  to  the  Canon,  "  Of  Clerical  Residence  and  Removal,"  and 
sent  to  the  House  of  Bishops,  where  the  said  amendment  was 
rejected,  and,  even  after  being  recommended  by  a  Committee 
of  Conference,  again  rejected.  The  matter  was  revived  in  1853, 
and  the  disagreement  between  the  two  Houses  was,  perhaps,  the 
most  serious  and  threatening  that  has  ever  occurred.  While  the 
proposed  amendment,  having  been  again  passed  by  the  one 
House  and  thrown  out  by  the  other,  was  in  the  hands  of  a  Com- 
mittee of  Conference,  it  was  discovered  in  the  House  of  Bishops 
that  the  same  had  become  a  law,  in  consequence  of  the  neglect 
of  that  House  to  communicate  their  dissent  from  the  last  action 
of  the  House  of  Deputies  in  1850,  with  the  reasons  therefor, 
in  three  days,  as  required  by  Article  HI.  of  the  Constitution. 


252  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

In  both  sessions,  Bishop  Burgess  voted  with  a  minority  for  the 
amendment  as  proposed  by  the  House  of  Deputies. 

In  the  Convention  of  1853,  he  favored  the  removal  of  restric- 
tions upon  the  division  of  a  Diocese,  by  making  a  certain  number 
of  self-sustaining  parishes  and  officiating  clergymen  indispensa- 
ble in  each  part ;  and  moved  and  carried  the  rejection  of  a  pro- 
posed canon  imposing  similar  restraints  upon  the  formation  of 
new  dioceses. 

One  of  the  most  important  subjects  before  the  Bishops,  in 
1856,  was  the  Report  of  a  Commission,  to  whom  was  referred, 
in  1853,  the  memorial  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  and  other 
eminent  clergymen,  touching  the  need  of  greater  flexibility  and 
liberty  in  public  worship,  of  better  adaptation  of  our  services  to 
varying  circumstances,  and  the  importance  of  taking  measures  to 
draw  more  closely  together  Protestant  Christians  agreeing  in 
great  fundamental  doctrines.  The  elaborate  and  interesting  re- 
port of  this  commission,  it  was  fondly  hoped  by  many,  would 
give  a  new  impulse  to  the  prosperity  of  our  Church,  and  to  the 
extension  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom.  Whether  or  not  Bishop 
Burgess  shared  in  these  anticipations,  he  entered  most  heartily 
into  the  spirit  of  this  movement,  and  gave  his  thorough  support 
to  all  the  recommendations  of  the  Commission,  standing  side 
by  side  with  Bishop  Alonzo  Potter,  their  warmest  advocate.  Of 
the  Preamble  and  Resolutions  in  the  shape  finally  adopted  (see 
Journal  of  House  of  Bishops  of  1856,  page  204)  he  was  through- 
out the  supporter,  sustaining  both  the  measures  adopted,  and  the 
propriety  of  such  action  by  the  Bishops. 

Bishop  Burgess  had  seconded  Bishop  Potter's  motion  for  the 
appointment  of  this  commission,  and  served  as  a  member  of  the 
same.  At  subsequent  Conventions,  when  attempts  were  made 
to  review  and  set  aside  the  action  of  1856,  he  always  opposed 
the  reopening  of  the  question.  All  the  weight  therefore  of  his 
practical  wisdom,  ripe  experience,  and  warm  attachment  to  his 
own  communion,  were  thrown  into  the  scale  of  judicious,  timely, 
and  liberal  adaptation  of  the  services  and  operations  of  the 
Church,  to  the  community  and  age  in  which  divine  Providence 
has  placed  it.     Bishop  Burgess  was  named  as  one  of  the  perma- 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  BISHOPS.  253 

nent  Commission  on  Church  Unity,  created  by  one  of  thealjove- 
mentioned  Resolutions. 

The  same  conviction,  the  desirableness  of  rendering  our  ser- 
vices appropriate  and  edifying,  enlisted  Bishop  Burgess  in 
behalf  of  two  other  propositions.  The  one  was  an  attempt  to 
introduce  an  additional  alternative  Preface  in  the  Confirmation 
Office,  that  to  which  we  are  at  present  confined  being  often 
strikingly  inappropriate,  where  the  Church  is  receiving  accessions 
of  mature  or  aged  members,  many  of  them  from  other  commu- 
nions. Accordingly,  repeated  motions  have  been  made  for  this 
object,  hitherto  unsuccessfully,  Bishop  Burgess  always  giving 
them  his  aid  and  countenance. 

In  another  effort,  that  for  enlarging  our  Hymnal,  he  was  par- 
tially successful.  Although  the  report  of  the  Committee  to  the 
Convention  of  1865  did  not  as  a  whole  find  favor,  the  House  of 
Clerical  and  Lay  Deputies  requested  the  House  of  Bishops  to 
select  and  set  forth  for  use,  a  limited  number  of  new  hymns.  This 
selection  was  mainly  made  by  Bishop  Burgess,  and  by  his  exer- 
tions carried  through  the  House,  near  the  close  of  the  session. 

The  General  Convention  of  1862  assembled  under  circum- 
stances of  great  anxiety.  The  country  was  convulsed,  and  the 
Church  divided,  by  the  great  rebellion  and  consequent  civil  war, 
the  event  of  which  was  still  uncertain.  A  sanguinary  battle  had 
just  been  fought,  and  the  whole  land  vibrated  with  the  terrific 
shock.  That  any  assemblage  of  loyal  citizens,  meeting  at  such 
a  time,  could  be  insensible  to  the  conflict  that  was  then  raging, 
or  that  such  a  struggle  with  the  duties  involved  therein  could  be 
excluded  from  the  discussions  even  of  a  Church  Council,  was 
simply  impossible.  To  many,  such  exclusion  appeared  not  only 
impossible  but  unjustifiable.  The  Church,  it  was  felt,  had  solemn 
responsibilities  in  this  dread  crisis,  and  to  withold  avowal  of 
sympathy  with  the  government  to  whom  the  allegiance  of  her 
children  was  due,  and  to  shrink  from  pronouncing  judgment 
upon  the  subject  in  its  moral  and  religious  relations,  appeared  an 
inexcusable  evasion  of  duty.  No  one  held  this  opinion  more 
decidedly  than  Bishop  Burgess.  Conspicuous  ever  for  Christian 
meekness  and  brotherly  love,  by  disposition  and  grace  a  peace- 
maker, he  stood  forth  the  unflinching  supporter  of  his  country's 


254  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

cause.  He  came  prepared  to  meet  this  grave  issue  as  fully  and 
fairly  in  the  General  Convention  as  elsewhere.  The  chief  occa- 
sion of  difference  in  the  House  of  Bishops  was  respecting  the 
introduction  or  exclusion  of  the  national  question  from  the  Pas- 
toral Letter.  Two  letters,  framed  upon  opposite  principles, 
were  presented.  The  House,  by  a  decided  majority,  adopted 
the  well-known  letter,  so  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  Christian 
patriotism,  and  so  acceptable  to  all  loyal  hearts,  and  this  letter, 
it  need  scarcely  be  added,  was  fully  sustained  by  Bishop  Burgess. 

The  journal  of  this  Convention  also  shows  that  Bishop  Burgess 
voted  against  accepting  the  resignation  of  his  Episcopate,  which 
Bishop  Scott  of  Oregon  had  offered  under  much  discouragement 
and  depression.  He  proposed  a  plan  for  the  government  and 
Episcopal  visitation  of  congregations  of  our  Church  that  might 
be  formed  in  European  countries.  He  favored  the  restoration, 
under  certain  conditions,  of  ministers  deposed  on  account  of 
abandoning  the  Communion  of  our  Church.  And  he  voted 
against  the  proposal  to  appoint  a  Joint  Committee  to  inquire 
into  the  expediency  of  opening  communication  with  the  Russo- 
Greek  Church. 

The  General  Convention  of  1865  was  no  less  agitated  by  the 
national  question  than  that  of  1862.  The  great  issue,  indeed, 
had  been  decided  by  the  Providence  of  God.  The  sword  had 
been  sheathed.  Bishops  and  Deputies  from  Southern  Dioceses 
had  come  up,  as  in  former  times,  to  the  gathering  of  the  house- 
hold of  faith.  There  was  no  division  of  sentiment  in  either 
House  as  to  the  desirableness  of  reuniting  the  bonds  of  unity 
that  had  been  broken.  There  was  but  one  heart  to  welcome 
back  brethren  whom  we  had  never  ceased  to  love.  But  now,  as 
in  1862,  the  point  arose  whether  it  was  right  to  pass  unnoticed 
and  thrust  aside,  the  momentous  struggle  just  ended.  At  the 
former  meeting,  the  assembled  Church  had  bowed  down  before 
God  in  a  solemn  service  of  prayer  and  supplication.  In  the 
time  of  our  trouble  we  sought  the  Lord.  Could  we  doubt  that 
he  had  hearkened  to  us,  when  we  had  been  delivered  from  the 
imminent  dangers  which  then  threatened  us,  and  had  received 
the  special  blessings  which  we  then  implored  ?  Could  we  refrain 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  B I  SHOTS.  255 

from  confessing  the  mighty  and  gracious  hand  that  had  brought 
us  out  of  our  distress,  and  should  not  our  thanksgivings  be  as 
full  and  particular  as  our  prayers  ?  This  was  the  view  taken  by 
Bishop  Burgess,  and  accordingly,  on  the  second  day  of  the  ses- 
sion, he  offered  the  following  resolution  to  be  laid  upon  the  table 
for  subsequent  consideration. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  House  of  Bishops,  having  at  the  Gene- 
ral Convention  of  1862,  in  consideration  of  the  then  afflicted 
condition  of  the  country,  proposed  and  observed,  in  conjunction 
with  the  House  of  Clerical  and  Lay  Deputies,  a  day  of  fasting, 
humiliation  and  prayer,  with  solemn  and  appropriate  services — 
and  now,  reverently  recognizing  that  Almighty  God,  in  answer 
to  the  supplications  of  His  people,  has  graciously  delivered  the 
country  out  of  that  afflicted  condition,  by  the  marked  interposi- 
tions of  His  Providence  in  our  behalf;  by  the  universal  establish- 
ment of  the  authority  of  the  national  government ;  by  the  com- 
plete restoration  of  peace,  and  by  the  extension  among  all 
classes  and  conditions  of  men  of  the  blessings  of  freedom,  edu- 
cation, culture,  and  social  improvement ;  and  gratefully  acknow- 
ledging the  special  loving  kindness  of  the  Lord  to  this  Church 
in  the  re-establishment  of  its  unity  throughout  the  land  as  repre- 
sented in  this  National  Council :  Do  appoint  as  a  day  of 
thanksgiving  and  praise  for  these  manifold  mercies,  and  will 
hold  a  solemn  service  appropriate  to  the  occasion. 

"Resolved,  that  the  House  of  Clerical  and  Lay  Deputies  be 
respectfully  invited  to  unite  in  this  service." 

When  this  resolution  was  called  up  by  him,  on  the  6th  day,  it 
was  referred  together  with  a  substitute  offered  by  the  Bishop  of 
Maryland,  to  a  committee  consisting  of  the  five  senior  Bishops. 

The  tone  of  the  report  of  this  committee  harmonized  with  the 
resolution  above  stated.  After  a  preamble  of  the  same  tenor 
they  proposed : — 

"  That  this  House  appoint  Tuesday,  the  17th  day  of  October, 
to  be  observed  by  the  same,  in  appropriate  public  services,  as  a 
day  of  thanksgiving  and  praise  for  God's  manifold  mercies  to 
our  country  and  His  Church,  especially  in  giving  us  deliverance 
from  the  late  afflicting  war,  in  re-establishing  the  authority  of 
the  national  government  over  all  the  land,  in  restoring  to  our 
country  the  blessings  of  union  and  concord,  and  in  bringing 
back  the  unity  of  the  Church  as  represented  in  this  Convention. 

Resolved,  that  a  copy  of  the  above  preamble  and  resolutions 


256  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

be  sent  to  the  House  of  Clerical  and  Lay  Deputies  with  an  affec- 
tionate request  that  they  will  unite  with  us  in  observing  the  day 
therein  appointed." 

This  report  was  adopted  with  a  good  degree  of  unanimity, 
and  it  was  supposed  that  the  difference  of  opinion  had  been 
happily  adjusted. 

The  next  day,  however,  at  the  request  of  the  Bishops  from  the 
South  who  had  resumed  their  seats,  the  action  was  reconsidered 
and  the  following  adopted  as  a  substitute  by  a  vote  of  16  to  7, 
Bishop  Burgess,  of  course,  voting  in  the  negative  : — 

"Resolved, That  the  House  of  Bishops,  in  consideration  of  the 
return  of  peace  to  the  country  and  unity  to  the  Church,  propose 
to  devote  as  a  day  of  thanksgiving  and  prayer  to  Almighty 

God  for  these  his  inestimable  benefits  ;  and  that  an  appropriate 
service,  prepared  under  the  direction  of  the  five  senior  Bishops, 
be  held  in  St.  Luke's  Church." 

The  appointed  thanksgiving  service  was  accordingly  held,  in 
which  allusion  was  studiously  avoided  to  the  answering  of  our 
prayers  for  restoration  of  the  rightful  authority  of  the  govern- 
ment, as  well  as  to  the  extension  of  the  blessings  of  freedom 
and  social  improvement  to  millions  of  our  fellow-men.  To  the 
minority  of  the  House  this  action  was  the  source  of  great  disap- 
pointment and  regret.  They  could  not  perceive  that  any  reason- 
able cause  of  offence  was  given  to  our  brethren  from  the  late 
rebellious  States,  by  the  course  first  proposed.  Reluctant  to 
appear  to  compromise  their  loyalty  as  citizens,  and  their  Christian 
obligation  to  render  due  praise  to  God  for  his  manifest  interpo- 
sition, they  united  in  a  supplemental  thanksgiving,  celebrated  on 
the  evening  of  the  same  day,  in  the  Church  of  the  Epiphany, 
and  they  decided  to  read  in  the  House,  before  its  adjournment, 
a  statement  of  their  position  and  feelings.  The  drawing  up  of 
this  statement  was  intrusted  to  Bishop  Burgess,  and  it  was  read 
by  Bishop  Mcllvaine  on  the  last  evening  of  the  session,  as 
follows; — 

"statement  of  seven  bishops." 

"  The  undersigned  have. desired  one  of  their  number  to  read, 
in  his  place  in  the  House  of  Bishops,  the  following  paper.     It  is 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  BISHOPS.  257 

not  a  remonstrance  against  action  which  is  already  past.  It  is 
not  a  protest,  for  which  they  are  aware  that  the  wholesome  rules 
of  the  House  allow  no  place  upon  its  journals.  It  is  simply  a 
statement,  which,  after  it  has  been  read,  can  be  by  themselves 
preserved,  made  public  and  transmitted  to  the  knowledge  of 
those  Avho  shall  come  after  them. 

In  the  decisions  of  the  House  of  Bishops  with  reference  to  the 
day  of  thanksgiving  for  the  restoration  of  peace  and  other  im- 
portant subjects,  the  ground  has  been  taken,  that,  for  the  sake  of 
more  complete  conciliation,  no  sentiment  should  be  expressed 
by  this  House,  or  this  Convention,  or  this  Church  in  any  collec- 
tive capacity,  on  subjects  of  such  importance  and  so  near  to  all 
of  us  as  the  re-establishment  of  the  National  Union  and  the 
emancipation  of  the  slaves.  The  House  of  Bishops  unquestion- 
ably loved  their  country  and  its  unity,  and  they  could  not 
approve  the  system  of  human  bondage ;  but  they  will  seem  to 
have  adopted  as  the  position  to  be  henceforth  occupied  by  this 
Church,  one  which  is  consistent  Avith  indifference  to  the  safety 
and  unity  of  the  nation,  and  to  the  freedom  of  the  oppressed. 
This  is  a  position  which,  as  the  undersigned  believe,  should  not 
be  maintained  by  any  branch  of  the  Christian  Church  in  the 
United  States,  whether  in  the  present  or  any  future  generation.  To 
signify  that  it  was  not  accepted  by  all  on  this  occasion,  and 
that  those  who  did  not  accept  it  believed  it  to  have  been  accepted 
at  all,  only  because  an  extreme  desire  for  conciliation  and  unani- 
mity prevailed  for  the  hour,  the  undersigned  have  prepared  this 
document,  with  perfect  and  cordial  respect  for  their  brethren, 
but  under  the  consciousness  of  a  great  duty  to  the  inseparable 
interests  of  their  beloved  Church  and  country. 

Signed  by  Bishop  McIlvaine,  of  Ohio, 
Lee,  of  Delaware, 
Eastburn,  of  Massachusetts, 
Burgess,  of  Maine, 
Lee,  of  Iowa, 
Bedell,  Assistant,  of  Ohio, 
Vail,  of  Kansas." 

Philadelphia,  October  24,  1865. 

This  noble  and  timely  testimony  was  the  last  utterance  of  the 
sentiments  of  its  lamented  composer  in  a  body  which  he'  had 
adorned  for  many  years,  and  of  which  he  was  now  uncon- 
sciously taking  his  final  leave.  The  echo  of  these  words  will 
linger  there  a  witness  of  the  union  of  uncompromising  patriotism 
with  Christian  fidelity  and  love  in  this  admirable  man. 
17 


258  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Only  one  other  act  of  Bishop  Burgess  at  this  session  need  be 
referred  to,  his  moving  to  withdraw  from  the  Russo-Greek  Com- 
mittee authority  to  correspond.  Of  his  eminently  catholic  spirit 
none  could  be  in  doubt.  His  course  in  this  matter  indicated  his 
conviction  of  the  necessity  of  great  caution  in  any  such  advances, 
and  his  fear  that  our  own  Church  might  be  compromised  by  too 
eager  reaching  after  fellowship  with  Churches  holding  the  posi- 
tion of  that  concerned.  Dearer  to  him  even  than  the  integrity 
and  peace  of  the  nation  were  the  doctrinal  purity  and  simplicity 
of  worship  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 


XXXIV. 

GROWTH  OF  THE  CHURCH   IN  MAINE. 

The  Rev.  William  S.  Bartlet,  himself  active  in  the  spread  of 
the  Church  in  Maine  before  the  consecration  of  its  first  Bishop, 
and  deeply  interested  in  all  its  subsequent  progress,  has  kindly 
furnished  the  following  sketch, 

"It  is  proposed  to  give,  in  this  section,  a  statement  of  the 
growth  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine  during  the  administration  of 
Bishop  Burgess.  A  very  brief  sketch  of  the  previous  history  of 
that  State  will  aid  materially  in  a  proper  understanding  of  the 
subject. 

The  first  attempts  at  colonization  in  Maine,  as  well  as  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, were  made  by  members  of  the  Church  of  England ; 
and  the  use  of  her  matchless  liturgy,  as  well  as  the  administra- 
tion of  one,  if  not  both  of  the  Christian  sacraments,  were  by 
priests  of  that  Church.  Popham's  colony  passed  several  months 
in  1607  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec,  with  the  Rev.  Richard 
Seymour  as  chaplain,  and  one  of  the  officers  of  the  government. 
The  westerly  part  of  Maine  contained  colonies  established  by  Sir 
Ferdinando  Gorges,  a  decided  Churchman.  One  of  these  colonies 
is  said  by  him  to  have  been  settled  as  early  as  New  Plymouth, 
viz.,  1620.  In  1636,  at  Saco,  a  '  Book  of  Rates  for  the  minister 
to  be  paid  quarterly,'   was  drawn    up,  and   subscriptions  were 


GROWTH  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  MAINE.  259 

"entered  in  it;  and  the  following  year  the  Rev  Richard  Gibson 
officiated  at  the  place  named,  and  other  places,  dwelling  in  those 
parts  seven  years.  In  1648,  an  inventory  of  property  belonging 
to  Trelawney's  plantation,  at  Richmond's  Island,  contains  the 
items  of  '  The  minister's  bedding,  the  communion  vessels,  one 
cushion,  and  one  tablecloth.'  From  this  entry,  it  has  been  in- 
ferred that  the  clergyman  above  named  officiated  in  the  territory 
mentioned,  as  the  Rev.  Robert  Jordan  afterwards  did,  as  early  at 
least  as  1645.  For  baptizing  some  children  in  1670,  in  Falmouth, 
now  Portland,  he  was  summoned  before  the  General  Court  of 
Massachusetts,  who  also  called  him  to  account  the  succeeding 
year  for  solemnizing  a  marriage.  The  territory  of  Maine, 
after  many  changes  of  ownership,  passed  by  purchase  into  the 
hands  of  the  neighboring  colony  of  Massachusetts,  in  1677. 
Thenceforward  the  religious  teachers  encouraged  in  this  Pro- 
vince were  Puritans. 

More  than  three-quarters  of  a  century  elapsed,  when  a  clergy- 
man of  the  Church  of  England  was  sent  to  a  colony  which  had 
been  established  in  the  valley  of  the  Kennebec.  This  mission 
continued  twenty-three  years,  when  it  was  suspended  by  the  de- 
parture of  the  missionary.  It  remained  unoccupied  seventy  years, 
when  it  was  resuscitated,  and  services  were  held  in  a  building 
which  afterwards  became  the  property  of  a  Church  parish.  In 
1764,  an  Episcopal  Church  was  founded  in  Portland.  In  1772, 
a  church  and  parsonage  were  built  in  Gardiner.  In  1809,  an  at- 
tempt to  form  a  church  in  Augusta  failed  solely  because  of  the 
impossibility  of  obtaining  a  minister. 

In  May,  1811,  the  first  Bishop  of  the  Eastern  Diocese  was  con- 
secrated. This  Diocese  included  all  New  England,  except 
Connecticut.  Looking  at  its  territorial  extent,  and  regarding 
the  character  of  New  England  people,  the  responsibilities  de- 
volving upon  the  Bishop  in  charge  were  probably  unequalled 
by  any  other  position  in  the  world.  The  disintegration  of  Pu- 
ritanism had  already  made  rapid  progress.  In  the  more  intel- 
lectual and  refined  parts  of  the  Northern  States,  Unitarianism 
had  revolutionized  many  religious  societies,  while  in  other  por- 
tions, the  rebound  from  the  asceticism  of  Calvinism  had  mani- 


26o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

fested  itself  in  the  growth  of  Universalism.  The  Church  would  ' 
undoubtedly  have  met  the  wants  of  many.  But,  alas,  the  Church 
was  small  in  numbers,  and,  to  make  the  matter  worse,  she  was 
affected  in  no  small  degree  with  the  Erastianism,  which  has  hin- 
dered her  progress  in  England.  There  seemed  to  be,  also,  an 
ill-defined  deference  to  the  various  Evangelical  sects  around 
her,  the  members  of  which  greatly  outnumbered  the  children  of 
her  communion.  The  value  of  the  Church's  system  and  doc- 
trines was  not  appreciated.  Hence,  there  was  a  lack  of  effort  to 
influence  others  to  come  into  her  fold.  And  so  matters  were 
left  to  take  pretty  much  their  own  course. 

Some  thirteen  months  previous  to  the  consecration  of  the 
Bishop  of  the  Eastern  Diocese,  a  church  in  Maine  was  without  a 
rector.  The  congregation  heard  of  a  certain  '  Methodist  min- 
ister, who  was  very  popular  with  that  denomination,  and  who 
liked  the  church  service  and  was  willing  to  use  it,'  and  they 
'voted  to  employ  him  for  one  year.'  'In  May,  i8ii,the  in- 
vitation was  repeated  for  one  year,  and  in  the  following  June 
the  Methodist  clergyman  was  admitted  to  Holy  Orders.'  For 
more  than  a  year  before  his  ordination,  this  layman,  in  the  view 
of  the  Church,  had  been  discharging  the  duties  of  Rector  of  a 
Parish.  He  undoubtedly  not  only  performed  divine  service, 
and  preached  sermons  of  his  own  composition,  but  as  there  was 
no  other  religious  society  in  the  town,  he  probably  baptized 
children  brought  to  him,  and  perhaps  also  administered  the 
Holy  Communion.  And  yet,  he  appears  to  have  been  admitted 
to  deacons'  orders,  without  any  notice  having  been  taken  of  his 
irregularities.  As  some  ten  years  after,  in  a  neighboring  State, 
a  person  was  ordained  deacon  in  the  morning,  and  confirmed 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  we  may  not  perhaps  be  much 
surprised  at  ecclesiastical  irregularities. 

Maine  was  admitted  as  a  Diocese,  having  previously  been  part 
of  Massachusetts,  in  1821.  But  it  still  continued  to  be  a  por- 
tion of  the  Eastern  Diocese. 

In  1827,  a  church  was  established  in  Saco.  This  was  in  fact 
a  renewal  of  the  parish  under  the  Rev.  Robert  Jordan,  in  1645. 
In  1835,  St.  John's  Church,  Bangor,  was  admitted  into  union 
with  the  Convention.     In   1841,  St.   Mark's  Church,  Augusta, 


GROWTH  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  MAINE.  261 

in  1844,  St.  Paul's,  Brunswick,  and  in  1847,  St.  James'  Church, 
Milford,  were  likewise  admitted. 

The  Rev.  George  Burgess,  D.D.,  was  consecrated  Bishop  of 
the  Diocese  of  Maine,  October  31st,  1847,  ^^^  entered  upon  his 
duties  as  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Gardiner,  the  following  Sun- 
day. He  found  committed  to  his  charge  the  seven  parishes 
which  have  been  enumerated.  But  little  had  been  done  in  the 
diocesan  missionary  field.  There  was  hardly  an  individual 
under  his  charge  whose  views  were  sufficiently  comprehensive, 
and  who  had  the  moral  courage  and  enterprise  necessary,  to  aid 
the  Bishop  in  asserting  the  original  claim  which  the  Church  had 
by  priority  of  occupation,  to  the  State  which  was  coextensive 
with  his  Diocese.  At  the  time  of  his  decease,  the  numbers  of 
the  clergy  and  parishes  had  almost  trebled.  There  was  no 
fund  for  the  support  of  the  Bishop.  He  commenced  such  a  fund 
by  a  donation  of  five  hundred  dollars.  When  he  died,  this 
amount  had  more  than  trebled,  and  he  made  liberal  additions 
to  it  by  his  will.  The  annual  income  of  the  Diocesan  Missionary 
Society  rose  from  some  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  eighteen 
hundred  dollars,  in  one  of  the  years  of  his  administration,  while 
its  usual  annual  amount  would  nearly  average  that  sum.  He 
established  three  agencies  for  the  sale  and  distribution  of  prayer 
books,  where  not  one  had  existed  before.  Three  special  funds 
were  formed,  amounting  in  all  to  about  three  thousand  dollars. 
These  are  evidences  of  the  growth  of  the  Church  in  Maine 
during  the  administration  of  Bishop  Burgess,  that  may  be  seen 
in  material  objects,  and  enumerated  in  figures. 

But  there  was  another  kind  of  growth  which  must  be  estimated 
in  a  different  way  and  which  will  be  progressive.  First,  a 
missionary  spirit  may  be  named.  Before  his  consecration  mis- 
sionary efforts  had  been  spasmodic  rather  than  continuous,  and 
not  always  of  a  judicious  character.  An  incident  may  be  related 
under  this  head  which  may  perhaps  suggest  much.  In  the  year 
1841-2,  a  clergyman  of  another  diocese  was  passing  the  winter 
in  the  central  part  of  Maine.  By  the  request  of  the  proper 
authority  he  made  a  long  and  very  uncomfortable  journey  by 
stage  coaches  to  the  extreme  eastern  frontier  of  the  State  to 
ascertain  what  were  the  prospects  of  establishing  the  Church  in 


262  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

that  region.  The  clergyman  canvassed  the  section,  consulted 
with  the  rector  of  the  nearest  Colonial  Church  and  some  of  his 
principal  parishioners,  raised  two  hundred  dollars  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  missionary,  and  then  returned  many  weary  miles  to  his 
temporary  residence.  The  expenses  of  the  journey,  which  he 
paid  himself,  the  suffering  from  intense  cold  on  the  way  were 
trifling  in  comparison  with  other  sacrifices  that  he  made  on  this 
missionary  tour.  On  his  return  he  forwarded  a  written  report 
to  the  proper  official.  A  single  remark  of  a  general  nature  was 
misapprehended  by  the  person  receiving  this  communication, 
and  drew  forth  a  rebuke,  not  expected  or  merited ;  and  this 
action  was  about  all  the  interest  manifested  in  the  mission,  if  we 
except  a  personal  discussion  on  the  part  of  some  members  of  the 
Diocesan  Board  of  Missions,  which  was  followed  by  the  want  of 
a  united  effort  for  the  occupation  of  the  ground.  Within  a  few 
months  after  Bishop  Burgess  came  into  the  Diocese  he  visited  the 
region  referred  to  and  took  measures  to  establish  the  Church 
there,  which  at  once  proved  successful.  On  his  return  he  re- 
marked that  'seven  years  had  been  lost  to  the  Church  in  C 
As  this  period  measured  the  time  which  had  passed  since  the 
report  before  named  had  been  made,  the  statement  showed  the 
lack  of  well-timed  energy,  which  might  have  brought  about  a 
very  different  result. 

Bishop  Burgess  was  not  one  who,  while  he  could  talk  with 
much  feeling  on  the  subject  of  extending  the  Church  to  desti- 
tute localities,  did  nevertheless  excuse  himself  from  the  actual 
work.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  always  ready  to  be  the  leader 
in  such  enterprises.  The  force  of  his  example  as  chief  mission- 
ary encouraged  others,  and  diocesan  missions  in  Maine  will  long 
feel  the  impetus  of  the  start  which  he  gave  them. 

Though  by  no  means  '  high'  in  his  Church  views,  he  was  in- 
tensely loyal  to  the  Church.  While  he  appreciated  the  excel- 
lence of  many  who  are  not  of  her  fold,  there  was  to  him  but 
one  efficient  and  lasting  agency  for  spiritual  good,  and  that 
was  to  be  found  in  the  Church  in  Avhich  he  held  a  high  office. 
This  loyalty  in  him  begat  a  loyalty  in  others  that  cannot  fail  to 
continue. 

It  has  been  by  no  means  uncommon  in  some  parts  of  New 


GROWTH  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  MAINE.  263 

England,  when  pecuniary  aid  has  been  asked  for  to  establish  the 
Church  in  a  locality  unblessed  by  her  ministrations,  for  some  to 
inquire,  '  Are  there  no  Evangelical  Churches  already  in  that 
community?'  If  the  answer  has  been  in  the  affirmative,  then 
the  person  to  whom  the  application  has  been  made  has  declined 
to  assist  the  new  enterprise.  The  view  which  influenced  such  a 
decision  would  seem  to  reduce  attachment  to  the  Church  to  a 
mere  question  of  aesthetics.  If  the  view  be  right,  it  surely  is  the 
duty  of  every  Churchman  to  abandon  his  own  organization  and  to 
aid  those  religious  bodies  who  hold  many  scriptural  truths,  in 
their  contest  against  various  forms  of  error,  rather  than  to  multi- 
ply religious  divisions  in  the  land.  Bishop  Burgess  did  not 
hesitate  to  labor  for  the  introduction  of  the  Church  in  every 
community  in  his  Diocese  where  there  was  any  prospect  of  the 
attempt  proving  successful.  And  this  he  did  from  a  profound 
conviction  that  a  lack  of  her  ministrations  is  one  of  the 
most  grievous  evils  under  which  New  England  now  labors, 
and  further,  that  in  these  efforts  he  was  seeking  to  reclaim  the 
State  to  her  proper  ecclesiastical  allegiance,  acquired  by  the 
Church  by  priority  of  possession. 

The  Bishop  was  not  in  the  practice  of  taking  part  in  the 
operations  of  societies  whose  members  were  composed  of  various 
sects,  united  for  the  promotion  of  a  good  object.  He  thought 
that  the  instrumentalities  belonging  to  the  Church,  when  they 
were  faithfully  used,  would  accomplish  all  practicable  results. 
When  he  took  charge  of  the  Diocese  there  was  little,  or  none  of 
this  intelligent  attachment  and  warm  affection  for  the  Church. 
But  he  created  the  spirit,  and  Maine  now  stands  among  the  most 
loyal  of  the  dioceses.  It  is  unnecessary  to  insist  upon  such  an 
evidence  of  the  growth  of  the  Church  under  his  administration, 
or  to  point  out  the  solidity  of  such  a  part  of  the  foundation 
which  he  laid  for  its  future  increase  in  Maine. 

But  a  Bishop  might  be  perfectly  loyal  to  the  Church,  and  still 
have  repelled  many  from  her  by  his  arrogance  and  selfishness, 
and  have  done  further  mischief  by  his  lack  of  judgment.  Taking 
his  ideal  of  a  Bishop  from  that  era  in  English  history  embraced 
in  the  reigns  of  the  Georges,  and  which  in  many  respects  was  a 
disgrace  to  human  nature,  he  might  have  acted  in  the  spirit  of 


264  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

an  English  spiritual  baron.  This  leads  us  to  speak  of  another  way 
in  which  he  promoted  the  growth  of  the  Church  in  Maine,  viz  : 
conquering,  in  a  good  measure,  the  prejudices  which  existed 
against  her.  This  was  effected  by  the  rare  excellence  of  his 
personal  character.  He  was  called,  and  with  perfect  justice,  the 
'saindy  Bishop.'  This  tide  has  been  properly  applied  to  the 
author  of  our  beautiful  'Evening  Hymn.'  Bishop  Ken,  through 
no  fault  of  his  own,  however,  became  the  victim  of  politics,  and 
as  such  was  viewed  by  some  with  suspicion.  But  no  diminution 
on  any  account  can  be  made  to  the  tide  as  applied  to  Bishop 
Burgess.  He  was  also  blessed  with  a  good  judgment.  Other- 
wise his  saintliness  might  at  times  have  degenerated  into  weak- 
ness. He  won  the  respect,  esteem,  and,  in  many  cases,  the  affec- 
tion of  multitudes  in  his  Diocese,  who  had  either  hated  the 
Church,  or  looked  upon  her  with  contempt  because  of  her 
weakness,  or  because  of  her  former  cringing  spirit.  Instances  of 
his  self-sacrificing  benevolence  so  abound,  that  it  is  hard  to 
select.  One,  however,  may  be  given.  Into  the  family  of  a  parish- 
ioner, who  was  engaged  in  an  extensive  mechanical  business,  a 
grievous  sickness  entered.  His  four  children  were  prostrated  at 
once  by  the  malady.  Neighbors  and  friends  were  alarmed  at 
the  supposed  contagiousness  of  the  disorder,  and  rendered  no 
assistance.  The  father  of  the  family  was  obliged  to  abandon  his 
business  for  the  time  being,  that  he  might  aid  his  wife  in  nursing 
the  children.  The  Bishop  visited  the  family.  Seeing  the  sad 
condition  they  were  in,  he  said  to  the  father :  '  Your  business 
must  be  suffering  from  the  exclusive  attention  you  give  to  your 
family.  Go  to  your  workshop,  I  will  remain  here  and  take 
your  place.'  This  the  Bishop  did  for  a  time  sufficiently  long 
to  enable  the  father  to  give  some  attention  to  his  secular  affairs 
that  day.  The  next  forenoon  at  the  same  hour  the  Bishop  came 
again  to  release  the  overworked  and  anxious  father,  and  again 
he  acted  the  nurse  during  the  father's  absence.  For  four  weeks 
these  visits  were  repeated  every  day.  Death  at  last  carried  off 
the  youngest  child.  The  others  slowly  recovered.  This  in- 
stance, be  it  remembered,  is  but  one  out  of  many. 

Deeds  like  this  cast  a  halo  around  the  head  of  the  doer,  by 
which  the  lustre  of  the  mitre  is  paled.     Or,  rather,  they  become 


GROWTH  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  MAINE.  265 

jewels  in  that  ofificial  crown,  which  far  outshine  its  original 
adornments.  In  thinking  of  the  sympathy  in  affliction,  '  the 
bearing  of  one  another's  burdens,'  which  was  a  marked  charac- 
teristic of  Bishop  Burgess,  and  contrasting  this  with  the  conduct 
of  some  who  have  held  high  ofificial  rank,  the  words  of  Portia 
come  irresistibly  into  the  mind  : — 

•  A  substitute  shines  brightly  as  a  king, 
Until  a  king  be  liy;   and  then  his  state 
Empties  itself,  as  doth  an  inland  brook 
Into  the  main  of  waters.' 

The  name  of  Bishop  Burgess  is  a  household  word  in  many  a 
family  in  his  Diocese,  who  perhaps  know  little  and  care  little  for 
his  mere  ofificial  title. 

In  a  Puritan  community,  the  ofifice  of  a  Bishop  is  viewed  with 
no  favor.  The  claims  of  the  Church  appear  to  be  a  continual 
source  of  annoyance.  If  in  any  diocese  this  state  of  things  can 
be  even  measurably  changed,  we  may  safely  say  that  the  Church 
has  grown  in  that  diocese.  We  may  also  say  that  a  good  founda- 
tion has  been  laid  for  future  growth.  Both  of  these  statements 
are  true  with  regard  to  the  administration  of  the  first  Bishop  of 
Maine. 

We  have  thus  endeavored  to  sketch  very  briefly  the  growth  of 
the  Church  in  Maine  under  Bishop  Burgess.  We  have  seen  the 
advance  in  twenty  years  in  material  elements,  from  a  small  and 
feeble  body  to  one  respectable  in  wealth  and  numbers.  We 
have  spoken  of  the  great  increase  and  strengthening  of  her  mis- 
sionary spirit,  the  Bishop  always  regarding  himself  as  the  chief 
missionary  within  his  jurisdiction.  We  have  dwelt  somewhat 
upon  the  present  loyalty  to  the  Church  which  now  marks  the 
Diocese,  most  of  which  was  created  by  the  departed  prelate. 
We  have  spoken  of  him  as  the  'saintly  Bishop,'  a  title  which 
he  well  merited.  And  we  have  stated  that  with  his  purity  and 
devotion  was  associated  a  sound  judgment.  One  example  out 
of  many  has  been  given,  which  illustrates  some  of  these  charac- 
teristics. 

When  Bishop  Burgess  died  he  had  not  only  materially  in- 
creased the  Church  in  Maine,  but  he  had  left  strong  and  broad 
foundations  upon  which  they  that  should  come  after  him  might 


266  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

build.  The  value  of  these  foundations  may  not  be  appreciated 
except  by  those  who  knew  the  sacrifice  and  labor  with  which 
they  were  laid.  The  time  had  not  come  in  his  day  for  a  decided 
aggressive  action.  Such  action  at  that  period  would  almost  cer- 
tainly have  defeated  itself.  Unremitting  toil,  and  personal  influ- 
ence and  example,  were  necessary  to  lay  securely  the  platform  for 
the  more  conspicuous  efforts  of  those  who  should  succeed  him. 
But,  should  Maine  in  coming  years  be  largely  reclaimed  to  the 
Church,  much  of  the  success  of  that  result  will  be  due  to  the 
patient  and  persevering  effort,  the  self-sacrifice,  and  the  un- 
common saintliness  of  character  of  her  first  Bishop." 


XXXV. 

AS  A  PREACHER. 

Rev.  Asa  Dalton,  Rector  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Portland, 
made  by  him  a  Memorial  Church  of  Bishop  Burgess,  a  beloved 
presbyter  and  friend,  has  furnished  this  section. 

"As  a  preacher.  Bishop  Burgess  surpassed,  we  think,  almost 
every  member  of  the  House  of  Bishops,  and  was  not  inferior  to 
the  best  of  the  English  Bishops.  He  had  a  completeness  of 
culture,  and  a  certain  symmetry  of  faculties  and  of  character, 
which  remind  us  of  those  saintly  lives  that  have  been  sublimated 
through  much  service  and  suffering  in  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
Like  his  friend  Bishop  Potter,  Bishop  Burgess  was  a  many-sided 
man.  His  faculties  of  mind  and  body  were  all  fully  developed, 
and  harmoniously  blended.  He  had  sound  judgment,  a  poetic 
and  fervid  fancy,  chastened  wit,  a  delicate  humor,  a  prodigious 
memory,  and  above  all,  that  higher,  a  priori  reason  which  pierces 
through  the  mists  of  earth  and  penetrates  divine  mysteries.  His 
rare  endowments  elicited  the  admiration  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Bishop  Burgess  was  not  what  is  called  a  popular  preacher,  for 
he  was  not  striking,  or  sensational.  His  careful  culture,  and 
the  admirable  soundness,  fulness,  and  fairness  of  all  he  wrote, 
necessarily  removed  him  and  kept  him  at  a  great  distance  from 
those  flashy,  and  sometimes  frivolous  clergymen,  whose  highest 


JS  A  PREACHER.  267 

ambition  is  to  emulate  the  rhetorical  tricks  of  sensational  lec- 
turers, as  these  in  their  turn  run  a  race  with  the  low  comedian 
and  other  enactors  of  popular  farces.  Bishop  Burgess  was  not 
only  far  removed  from  all  this,  but  as  a  Bishop  in  the  Church  of 
God  set  his  face  against  it  like  a  flint.  In  his  own  preaching,  in 
these  respects  he  may  be  compared  not  only  with  Bishop  Potter, 
but  with  several  prominent  divines  of  other  communions,  whom 
he  resembled  in  certain  traits  and  whose  peer  he  was ;  with  such 
men  as  Dr.  Walker,  of  Harvard  College,  Dr.  Hopkins,  of  Wil- 
liams' College,  and  Dr.  Wayland,  of  Brown  University,  neither 
of  whom  has  been  a  popular  preacher. 

To  facilitate  our  few  further  observations  on  Bishop  Burgess 
as  a  preacher,  we  will  speak  of  his  discourses  under  the  heads 
of  Parochial,  Diocesan,  Occasional,  and  add  a  few  remarks  on 
his  charges  and  sermons  subsequently  published  as  tracts  for 
general  reading. 

I.  Parochial. — The  uniform  excellence  of  his  ordinary  pa- 
rochial sermons  is  attested  by  those  most  competent  to  pronounce 
upon  them,  the  parishioners  of  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  Conn., 
and  of  Christ  Church,  Gardiner.  His  parochial  life  was  passed 
with  these  two  parishes,  each  of  which  was  edified  and  consoli- 
dated by  tl;ie  rich  stores  of  sanctified  learning  and  instruction 
which  the  good  Rector  and  Bishop  imparted  to  them,  as  he  ful- 
filled his  course.  A  faithful  steward  of  the  Divine  Mysteries, 
he  brought  forth  from  the  treasury  of  the  Gospel,  '  things  new 
and  old,'  his  sermons  embracing  an  unusually  wide  range  of 
subjects.  A  wise  master  builder,  he  wrought  on  God's  founda- 
tion and  no  other.  That  the  Bishop  was  eminently  evangelical 
in  his  preaching,  is  gratefully  remembered  by  his  former  par- 
ishioners, and  their  recollection  of  his  discourses  in  this  respect 
is  abundantly  corroborated  by  his  printed  sermons.  His  opinion 
and  practice,  in  relation  to  this  subject,  are  indicated  in  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  a  letter  dated  September,  1835  • — 

'  I  think  that  your  objections  to  the  preaching  of  mere  moral 
discourses  are  perfectly  well  founded,  for  although  it  may  not 
be  possible,  without  evidently  going  out  of  the  way  to  drag  it  in, 
always  to  state,  in  every  single  sermon,  at  much  length,  the  whole 
plan  of  salvation,  yet,  if  the. minister  be  constrained  by  a  warm 
love  of  Christ,  he  can  scarcely  avoid  so  connecting  every  subject 


268  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

with  His  redeeming  grace,  as  would  fully  absolve  him  from  the 
charge  of  being  a  mere  moralist.' 

From  his  lips  proceeded  the  clearest  and  most  affectionate 
statements  of  Gospel  truth,  and  there  were  but  few  in  either  con- 
gregation, who  could  withstand  the  persuasive  and  pathetic  elo- 
quence of  the  preacher.  An  ambassador  of  Christ  too  he  spake 
with  a  high  degree  of  authority,  and  'his  word  was  with  power,' 
for  it  was  faithful  to  the  commission  which  he  had  received  from 
his  Lord.  The  prosperous  spiritual  condition,  and  the  unusual 
general  efficiency  and  stability  of  both  his  parishes,  are  the  surest 
evidence  of  his  power  as  a  preacher,  and  his  faithfulness  as  a 
pastor.  It  is  this,  indeed,  his  pastoral  fidelity,  which  is  now 
recalled  and  dwelt  upon  with  the  deepest  devotion,  gratitude, 
and  admiration.  That  this  eminent  scholar  and  divine  should 
preach  instructive  sermons  was  not  surprising,  but  how  touching 
to  see  him  till  the  last,  daily  pursuing  his  rounds  of  pastoral  duty, 
specially  among  the  poor  and  ignorant.  In  all  this  land  there 
was  not  a  more  diligent,  humble,  or  beloved  pastor,  and  not 
only  in  his  parish,  but  in  his  intercourse  with  the  clergy  of  his 
Diocese,  one  was  often  reminded  of  the  words  of  St.  Peter,  '  I, 
who  am  also  an  elder.' 

Another  reason  why  Bishop  Burgess  was  not  a  '  popular' 
preacher  was,  that  his  sermons  contained  but  few  startling,  or 
even  striking  sentences.  His  style  was  not  epigrammatic,  anti- 
thetical, or  sententious.  His  sentences  were  not  short,  and 
flowed  evenly  along  like  a  river  confined  by  its  banks,  bearing 
his  hearers  ever  onward  till  they  entered  the  desired  haven  with 
a  grateful  sense  of  having  been  wafted  thither  by  gentle  gales, 
a  favoring  tide,  over  a  smooth  sea,  on  whose  bosom  they  had 
floated  with  perfect  confidence  in  the  pilot.  Many  of  his  ser- 
mons are  prose  poems,  and  almost  as  finished  as  those  of  Long- 
fellow or  Tennyson.  Gibbon's  stately  style  was  very  attractive 
to  him,  and  he  delighted  to  read  him  for  this  alone.  But  though 
the  Bishop's  sermons  would  not  furnish  so  many  passages  for 
'elegant  extracts'  as  some  others,  when  read  or  attentively 
listened  to  throughout,  they  seldom  failed  to  gratify  the  intelli- 
gent hearer,  or  to  satisfy  entirely  his  reasonable  expectations. 
Often   they  completely  exhausted  the  subject,  and  they  always 


^S  A  PREACHER.  269 

did  ample  justice  to  such  phases,  or  parts  of  it  as  were  presented 
for  the  hearer's  meditations.  The  fairness  of  the  preacher,  his 
desire  to  know  the  truth,  and  present  things  in  their  real  relations 
were  especially  apparent,  and  made  of  course  a  very  favorable 
impression.  Confidence  is  proverbially  a  plant  of  slow  growth, 
and  no  preacher  possessed  the  confidence  of  his  hearers,  in  a 
higher  degree  than  Bishop  Burgess.  His  candor  and  sense  of 
justice  were,  indeed,  among  his  most  prominent  traits.  Still 
more  impressive  was  his  unaffected  earnestness,  deepening  at 
times  into  an  awful  solemnity  both  of  thought  and  manner,  while 
the  pure  spirituality  of  his  discourses  was  faithfully  reflected  by 
every  feature.  Coming  to  his  hearers,  as  he  did  from  the  holy 
mount  of  the  Divine  Presence,  the  heavenly  glow  shone  on  his 
brow,  gleamed  from  his  eye,  touched  his  lips,  and  informed 
the  whole  man. 

2.  Diocesan. — He  constantly  preached  in  annual  or  more 
frequent  visitations  of  the  Diocese,  and  before  the  Board  of  Mis- 
sions at  its  frequent  meetings.  In  confirmation  sermons  the 
Bishop  usually  handled  topids  connected  with  Christian  doctrine, 
and  the  Christian  life  and  worship.  His  treatment  of  these 
themes  was  marked  by  so  much  vigor,  breadth,  and  earnestness, 
that  these  occasions  almost  always  attracted  large  congregations 
of  thoughtful  and  devout  persons  of  all  denominations.  But 
the  Bishop's  own  clergy  were  his  most  appreciative  hearers  when 
he  preached  to  them  at  the  meetings  of  the  Diocesan  Missionary 
Board.  These  meetings  were  looked  forward  to  with  great  in- 
terest, and  all  who  possibly  could,  made  it  a  point  to  attend 
them.  The  Bishop  was  of  course  the  chief  attraction  to  the 
Clergy,  among  whom  he  appeared  as  an  affectionate  father,  or 
elder  brother,  of  whom  it  might  be  said,  'His  countenance 
was  a  benediction.'  All  loved  to  be  with  the  Bishop,  and  as 
much  time  as  possible  was  passed  in  his  society.  He  usually 
preached  the  sermon  at  the  opening  service,  a  circumstance 
sufficient  of  itself  to  insure  a  punctual  as  well  as  general  attend- 
ance. His  sermons  on  these  occasions  were  seldom  controver- 
sial in  form  or  spirit,  but  they  frequently  had  indirect  and  inci- 
dental reference  to  questions  of  great  moment  and  present  in- 
terest.    Of  course  this  was  more  apparent  to  the  Clergy  than  to 


2  70  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

the  Laity,  and  great  was  both  the  pleasure  and  the  profit  they 
derived  from  these  admirable  sermons,  every  one  of  which 
should  be  published  for  the  edification  of  the  faithful  throughout 
the  land,  for  they  were  'like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  sil- 
ver,' and  had  the  fragrance  of  'a  field  which  the  Lord  hath 
blessed.'  The  reverence  the  Clergy  entertained  for  the  Bishop 
did  not  allow  of  their  praising  these  sermons  in  a  fulsome  man- 
ner to  the  Bishop,  nor  did  they  write  of  them  to  the  Church 
papers  in  terms  of  extravagant  laudation.  They  well  knew  that 
the  Bishop  would  approve  of  neither  of  these  courses.  They 
were,  therefore,  content  to  listen  to  them  with  devout  thankful- 
ness and  joy,  and  to  tell  each  other  how  'their  hearts  burned 
within  them  by  the  way.'  A  cringing,  fawning,  silly  satellite 
would  have  been  viewed  by  the  good  Bishop  with  a  disgust  only 
less  lively  than  that  with  which  he  would  have  turned  from  a 
carping  critic,  or  envious  detractor  of  his  brethren. 

At  the  close  of  these  services  the  Bishop  was  wont  to  make  an 
extemporaneous  address,  in  which  he  often  rose  to  such  a  height 
of  unaffected  and  undesigned  eloquence  that  both  Clergy  and 
Laity  could  not  but  wish  he  would  adopt  this  style  more  fre- 
quently. At  times  his  form  would  dilate  and  his  voice  ring  out 
with  clarion  clearness  and  trumpet  inspiration,  firing  all  hearts 
for  the  array  of  battle.  Again,  subdued  in  manner  and  in  tremu- 
lous, affectionate  accents,  or  with  parental  tenderness,  his  ad- 
dress would  move  to  tears  those  quite  unused  to  them.  All  who 
had  the  happiness  of  being  present  on  these  occasions  will  re- 
member the  form,  the  face,  the  voice,  the  eye,  and  kindly  soul 
of  our  dear  Bishop  as  long  as  they  shall  be  able  to  recall  any- 
thing in  life  by  which  they  have  been  deeply  moved. 

Of  the  thousands  present  on  these  occasions  not  connected 
with  the  Episcopal  Church,  it  is  doubtful  if  any  ever  went  away 
without  very  favorable  impressions  of  the  preacher,  and  a  clearer 
apprehension  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  The  Clergy  resident 
with  him  in  the  Diocese  probably  recognize  and  rejoice  in  the  fact 
that  more  '  strangers  in  the  Church'  received  their  first  friendly 
bias  towards  it  from  these  sermons  and  addresses  than  from  all 
their  efforts  united.  The  manner  and  matter  of  the  Bishop  were 
equally  adapted   to   invite  attendance,  arrest  attention,  awaken 


AS  A  PREACHER.  .  271 

interest,  and  insure  conviction  in  a  community  not  generally  fa- 
miliar with  the  forms  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  or  acquainted 
with  the  doctrines  and  discipline  embodied  in  the  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer, 

3.  Occasional  Sermons. — By  these  are  meant  his  'funeral 
discourses'  and  sermons  before  literary  institutions,  at  conse- 
crations of  Bishops  or  of  Churches,  at  ordinations,  and  on  other 
similar  occasions.  Of  these  it  need  only  be  said,  that  his  funeral 
discourses  were  marked  by  excellent  taste  in  the  choice  of  texts, 
and  a  nice  discrimination  in  the  treatment  of  subjects  suited  to 
the  occasion.  In  the  course  of  his  ministry,  he  preached  such 
sermons,  now  in  print,  on  the  death  of  children,  of  parents, 
husbands  and  wives,  and  of  aged  and  devout  disciples  who, 
during  their  lives,  had  walked  in  '  all  the  commandments  and 
ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless.'  Among  the  latest  of  them 
was  his  beautiful  and  touching  tribute  to  departed  worth,  in  the 
person  of  the  late  Presiding  Bishop  Brownell,  formerly  at  once 
his  parishioner  and  diocesan,  and,  still  later,  his  affectionate 
eulogy  of  his  dear  friend,  parishioner  and  warden,  the  Hon. 
Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner. 

The  sermons  preached  at  the  consecrations  of  Bishops  Wil- 
liams, Kip,  and  Whipple,  at  the  consecration  of  St.  John's 
Church,  Hartford,  at  the  commencement  of  the  General  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  before  the  Bishop  White  Prayer  Book  So- 
ciety, the  Church  Book  Society,  at  the  opening  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Divinity  School,  at  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  F.  D. 
Huntington,  D.  D.,  at  the  consecration  of  St.  John's  Church, 
Detroit,  and  others,  are  all  noble  contributions  to  our  treasures 
of  sacred  learning  and  eloquence,  and  should  not  fail  to  be  pre- 
served in  a  permanent  form  as  a  most  valued  addition  to  our 
theological  literature.  They  are  learned,  without  being  pedantic; 
wise,  without  being  wearisome ;  devout,  without  being  dull ; 
amiable,  without  being  insipid  ;  conciliatory,  without  being  lati- 
tudinarian;  comprehensive,  yet  vigorous;  pure  in  diction,  clear 
in  expression,  and  convincing  in  argument,  treasuries  of  Divine 
Truths.  In  a  merely  literary  point  of  view,  these  and  other 
sermons  of  Bishop  Burgess  are  nowise  inferior  to  the  discourses 
of  Dr.  Channing,  and,  if  diffused  as  widely,  would  not  fail   to 


2  7  2  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  B  UR  GESS. 

make  as  many  converts  to  evangelical  Episcopacy,  as  Channing's 
Works  have  made  to  Unitarianism. 

4.  Charges  and  Occasional  Essays. — Bishop  Burgess  de- 
livered in  aH  six  charges,  at  intervals  of  three  years,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  close  of  his  Episcopate. 

In  the  first,  he  treated  of  the  Foundations  of  the  Faith,  the 
Scriptures,  Scriptural  Doctrines,  Scriptural  Sacraments  and  Or- 
dinances. 

In  the  second,  he  discussed  and  denounced  the  worldliness  of 
the  age,  the  apathy  of  the  Church,  and  presented  the  need  of 
greatly  increased  earnestness. 

In  the  third,  he  took  up  the  great  question  of  the  Church, 
considered  theoretically,  historically,  and  as  a  denomination  of 
Christians.  The  catholic  spirit  of  the  Bishop  peculiarly  quali- 
fied him  to  treat  this  much  vexed  question  with  what  Locke  calls 
a  '  large  round  about  common  sense,'  and  with  a  singular 
sweetness  of  temper,  sanctified  by  a  holy  and  heavenly  desire 
to  make  the  discussion  tributary  to  the  cause  of  Christian  union, 
and  Church  unity. 

In  the  fourth,  he  raised  his  voice  against  a  wide-spread  heresy, 
the  denial  of  satanic  agency,  and  of  the  personality  of  the  devil. 

In  the  fifth,  he  argued  for  a  useful  and  efiicient  ministry. 

In  the  sixth,  he  discussed  the  situation  of  the  Church,  and  of 
the  country,  since  the  civil  war. 

Kindred  in  spirit  to  these  charges,  and  equal  in  merit,  were 
his  sermons  on  the  Christian  Evidences,  preached  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  on  the  Psalter,  preached  in  New  York,  each  of  which 
was  as  fresh  as  the  morning  dew,  and  vigorous  as  the  rising  sun. 
The  charges  are  all  able,  and  relate  to  subjects  of  practical  in- 
terest to  the  whole  Church.  But  as  our  space  will  not  permit 
us  to  analyze  them  all,  we  beg  to  commend  to  special  atten- 
tion, the  First  and  Third — the  Third  in  particular.  This  charge 
is,  without  doubt,  the  first  production  of  the  Bishop's  pen.  The 
subject  is  of  the  highest  importance  and  of  immediate  interest  to 
us  all.  The  style  is  elegant,  the  thoughts  weighty,  and  the 
wisdom  more  of  heaven  than  of  earth.  Oh,  that  our  Church 
and  clergy  would  'read,  mark,  learn,  and  inwardly  digest'  this 
admirable  charge !     The   Rev.   Dr.   Muhlenburg  was  so  much 


^S  A  PREACHER.  273 

pleased  with  this  charge  that  he  published  an  extra  edition  of 
it  at  his  own  expense.  It  is  now  out  of  print.  The  fundamental 
principle  asserted  is,  that  the  terms  of  communion  in  the  Church 
should  be  as  comprehensive  as  the  terms  of  salvation  in  the 
Gospel,  and  that  Christ's  ministers  have  no  right  to  deny  the 
privileges  of  Church  fellowship  on  earth  to  those  whose  names 
are  written  in  the  'Lamb's  book  of  life'  in  Heaven.  The  fourth 
charge  is  used  as  a  text-book  in  some  of  the  theological  semi- 
naries. 

One  of  his  best  occasional  tracts,  peculiarly  adapted  to  Maine, 
is  his  '  Letter  to  a  Preacher  of  Universalism,'  published  since  his 
death.  The  perfect  candor  which  characterizes  all  the  Bishop's 
productions  never  appeared  to  better  advantage  than  in  this  faith? 
ful  appeal.  No  uninspired  writing  more  perfectly  complies  with 
the  Saviour's  direction  to  his  disciples  to  be  'wise  as  serpents  and 
harmless  as  doves.'  Nowhere  else  is  the  argument  against  Uni- 
versalism presented  so  forcibly  and  yet  with  so  little  offence  to 
those  who  hold  it.  The  Bishop  makes  no  personal  issue  with 
them,  and  concedes  their  sincerity.  But  he  compares  their  stand- 
ard publications  with  the  general  drift  of  the  Bible,  and  goes  on 
to  ask,  with  meekness.  Is  there  not  a  great  and  even  startling  dif- 
ference? If  the  inspired  penmen  believed  in  the  salvation  of 
all  men,  did  they  not  adopt  a  singular  style  for  proclaiming  it? 
Would  a  modern  Universalist  choose  such  terms  as  they  did, 
and  persistently  set  forth  the  subject  after  the  manner  of  Christ 
and  his  Apostles?  Did  not  they  speak  of  salvation  as  something 
to  be  earnestly  sought,  and  as  in  danger  of  being  lost?  Are  not 
men  to  strive,  to  Avatch  and  pray,  and  are  they  not  warned  to 
beware  lest  they  '  neglect  this  great  salvation  ?'  Now  is  this 
your  way  of  putting  the  question?  Do  you  handle  it  after  the 
inspired  model?  And  if  not,  if  your  general  drift  is  so  different 
from  that  of  the  Bible,  may  you  not,  ought  you  not  to  pause  and 
inquire  whether  you  have  the  mind  of  Christ  on  this  subject? 

The  essays  entitled  'Adult  Baptism,'  'Going  up  to  the 
Temple  to  Pray,'  and  'The  Stranger  in  the  Church,'  have  been 
already  widely  circulated,  and  are  therefore  generally  known. 
'  The  Stranger  in  the  Church '  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  make 
a  favorable  impression  on  thoughtful  New  England  people.     Its 


2  74  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

value  consists  in  the  modesty  of  its  tone,  and    the  amount  of 
instruction  it  nevertheless  conveys  in  a  very  brief  compass. 

The  writer  once  expressed  to  the  Bishop  the  hope  that  he 
would  complete  this  series  of  popular  tracts  by  adding  others  on 
Episcopacy,  Confirmation,  and  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  replied 
favorably,  but  unfortunately  for  us  all  and  for  the  Church,  his 
most  valuable  and  holy  life  was  drawing  nearer  to  its  close  than 
either  he  or  we  were  aware.  Within  a  year  from  that  time  it 
pleased  God  to  take  out  of  this  world  the  soul  of  our  dear  Bishop, 
and  in  him  the  American  Church  lost  one  of  her  most  apostolic 
men,  and,  as  a  preacher  and  a  pastor,  one  who,  in  the  familiar 
words  of  his  favorite  Cowper,  was 

'  Simple,  grave,  sincere  ; 
In  doctrine  uncoiTupt;   in  language  plain, 
And  plain  in  manner;  decent,  solemn,  chaste, 
And  natural  in  gesture  ;  much  impress'd 
Himself,  as  conscious  of  his  awful  charge. 
And  anxious  mainly  that  the  flock  he  feeds 
May  feel  it  too;  affectionate  in  look 
And  tender  in  address,  as  well  becomes 
A  messenger  of  grace  to  guilty  men.' 

It  is  now  three  years  since  the  mournful  intelligence  of 
his  death  reached  us,  and  in  closing  this  imperfect  sketch  we 
are  prompted  to  repeat  with  increased  emphasis  the  words  we 
then  used  in  paying  our  humble  tribute  to  the  memory  of  his 
holy  life  and  pure  Christian  character. 

What  our  dear  Bishop  was  to  us  in  the  varied  relations  he  sus- 
tained to  us,  no  words  can  express.  The  image  of  his  life  can 
never  be  effaced  from  our  hearts.  The  virtues  of  his  character 
were  of  the  highest;  and  he  seemed  to  dwell  apart  as  one  whose 
conversation  was  in  Heaven.  His  '  life'  was  indeed  '  hid  with 
Christ  in  God,'  a  life  of  faith,  of  patience,  of  love.  Our  deepest 
sensibilities  are  touched  by  the  vivid  recollection  of  his  form,  his 
presence,  the  benignant  countenance,  the  courteous  bearing,  the 
sincere  expression  of  interest,  the  readiness  to  serve,  the  ever 
present  desire  to  do  good  to  all  men,  and  'especially  to  them 
who  are  of  the  household  of  faith.'  Others  may  eulogize  his 
talents,  his  learning,  his  eloquence,  his  wisdom  in  counsel  and 
prudence  in  action ;  but  to  none  was  he  so  great,  so  good,  or 
so  dear,  as  to  the  kindred  of  his  own  household,  and  the  chil- 
dren of  his  own  Church." 


APPENDIX  TO  SECTION  XXXV.  275 

XXXVI. 

APPENDIX  TO  SECTION  XXXV. 

Bishop  Burgess  would  not  consent  to  be  drawn  into  controver- 
sies, but  did  not  hesitate,  when  necessary,  to  attack  error.  His 
spirit  in  such  attacks  may  be  illustrated  by  the  opening  para- 
graphs of  a  sermon  which  he  preached  to  his  congregation  in 
Gardiner,  from  the  i8th  and  19th  verses  of  the  second  chapter 
of  the  Epistle  to  the  Colossians. 

"Every  Priest  or  Presbyter  of  our  Church,  at  his  ordination, 
was  asked,  'Will  you  be  ready  with  all  faithful  diligence  to 
banish  and  drive  away  from  the  Church  all  erroneous  and  strange 
doctrines  contrary  to  God's  word?'  and  every  one  answered,  '  I 
will,  the  Lord  being  my  helper.'  This  very  necessary  task  is  to 
be  discharged,  not  by  force  or  fraud,  even  if  that  were  possible, 
but  by  argument  and  persuasion,  public  and  private,  and,  if 
need  be,  by  rebuke,  denunciation  of  the  error,  and  exclusion 
from  the  Lord's  Table.  Every  Bishop  has  given,  at  his  conse- 
cration, the  same  promise  a  second  time,  in  almost  the  same 
words.  Those  who  have  placed  themselves  under  these  most 
sacred  obligations  cannot  doubt  their  general  duty,  to  expose  the 
falsehood  of  any  doctrine  by  which  any  of  their  charge  may  be 
liable  to  be  at  all  endangered,  and  to  warn  them  against  the  snare, 
all  the  more  if  they  do  not  perceive  it  to  be  a  snare. 

But  it  is  at  this  very  point  where  real  danger  begins,  that  some 
plausible  maxims  are  encountered  which  have  not  been  without 
their  weight  in  the  minds  even  of  Christians,  who  loved  both 
the  truth  and  peace.  It  is  thus  said  that  an  opinion,  true  or 
false,  only  gains  strength  and  spreads  the  more  when  it  is  openly 
opposed.  Be  silent,  it  is  said,  and  it  will  either  die  away  or 
cease  to  extend  itself  beyond  its  present  limits.  It  is  perfectly 
plain,  however,  that  reasoning  like  this  is  exactly  that  which  may 
be  employed  in  the  case  of  any  disease  which  has  increased  till 
it  has  become  alarming  or  fatal.  Did  you  employ  medical  treat- 
ment? You  may  be  told  that  the  treatment  caused  the  mischief. 
Did  you  employ  no  medical  treatment?  You  may  certainly  be 
told,  with  a  much  greater  appearance  of  justice,  that  the  mischief 
proceeded  from  your  neglect.  I  suppose,  however,  that  no 
father,  solicitous  for  the  threatened  life  of  a  sick  child,  would  be 
as  much  disturbed  by  the  fear  that,  through  timely  attention  to 
the  complaint,  he  might  have  unintentionally  pushed  it  on,  as  by 
the  dread  that  he  might  have  neglected  it  too  long.     In  the  same 


276  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

manner,  when  an  error  grows  up  and  lives  on,  it  is  very  easy  to 
say,  either  that  it  is  because  it  was  opposed,  or  because  it  was 
not  opposed  by  the  Clergy.  They  who  merely  reason  from  the 
result  are  always  liable  to  mistake  the  way  of  duty.  There  can- 
not be  the  smallest  doubt  that  it  is  right  to  guard  those  whom  we 
love,  those  for  whom  we  are  in  any  degree  responsible,  against 
every  serious  danger  which  we  can  foresee,  and  this  duty  is  not 
at  all  affected  by  the  result.  The  natural,  obvious,  and  divinely 
appointed  way  of  checking  the  progress  of  error  is  to  detect, 
expose,  and  refute  it  by  Scriptural  argument  and  warning.  If 
at  any  time  it  should  spread  in  defiance  of  such  efforts,  we  may 
be  sure  that  without  them  it  would  have  spread  more  rapidly 
and  more  disastrously. 

There  is  another  objection  which  comes  home  to  our  kindlier 
feelings.  While  the  error  was  at  a  distance,  to  contend  earnestly 
against  it  was  inoffensive,  but  was  also  quite  needless.  To  argue 
against  the  Mormon  doctrine  wounds  no  one,  but  is  of  no  profit. 
But  when  the  error  approaches  and  sits  down  amongst  us,  it  ne- 
cessarily happens  that  those  on  whom  it  lays  its  grasp  are  our 
friends  and  neighbors.  We  love  them,  we  respect  them,  we  wish 
to  live  in  union  and  in  concord  ;  we  are  not  blind  to  their  various 
merits,  and  we  are  all  bound  together  by  mutual  kindnesses.  It 
is  not  possible  seriously  to  assail  the  opinions  of  any  without 
danger  of  giving  pain;  and  certainly  it  is  not  expedient  to  con- 
demn them  except  when  it  is  to  be  done  with  great  seriousness. 
Whatever  mode  may  be  adopted,  reproof  and  censure  can  never 
be  made  pleasing.  Are  we  then  to  forbear?  Woe  to  us  if  we 
prove  faithless  to  our  duty  for  such  a  cause ;  if  we  permit  those 
whom  we  love  to  pass  unwarned  into  danger  and  delusion. 

I  am  about,  therefore,  to  speak  of  the  delusion  which  derives 
its  name  and  origin  from  the  writings  of  Swedenborg,  and  to 
speak  of  it  for  the  very  reason  that  it  is  here ;  that  it  has  a  foot- 
hold in  our  community;  and  that  whatever  powers  of  persuasion 
it  may  possess,  are  exercised  to  beguile  the  uninstructed  and  the 
unstable.  For  the  personal  character  of  several  of  those  by 
whom  this  doctrine  is  professed,  I  entertain  a  very  high  degree 
of  respect;  there  is  none  of  them,  so  far  as  I  know,  from  whom 
I  ever  received  any  unkindness,  and  I  could  wish  not  to  inflict 
the  smallest  pain  by  any  words  which  the  truth  may  require  to 
be  uttered.  At  the  same  time,  there  is  no  room  on  subjects 
like  these  for  any  great  influence  of  personal  considerations.  If 
that  which  is  termed,  but  never  ought  to  be  termed,  'the  New 
Church  ;'  if  the  Church  of  Swedenborg  be  right,  the  Old  Church, 
Holy  Catholic  Church,  the  Church  of  Christ,  is  grossly  wrong. 
The  whole  Church  of  Christ,  in  all  its  branches  and  denomina- 
tions, is  certainly  assailed  by  those  who  believe  in  the  doctrines 


APPENDIX  TO  SECTION  XXXV.  277 

of  Swedenborg,  as  if  it  were  wholly  in  darkness,  blind  to  the 
truth,  and  engaged  in  teaching  mighty  and  mischievous  corrup- 
tions. We  are  not  called  to  retaliate,  except  as,  from  the  nature 
of  things,  that  which  thus  opposes  the  Church  must  be  opposite 
to  the  truth,  and  necessarily  worthy  of  condemnation.  But  it  is 
not  the  province  of  Christianity  to  defend  its  own  cause  so  much 
as  to  attack  and  overthrow,  by  the  arms  of  truth,  all  which  is 
hostile  to  the  declared  will  of  God  our  Saviour.  We  must  re- 
fuse to  stand  on  the  defensive ;  we  must  push  error  back  on  its 
own  ground,  break  down  its  fastnesses,  if  it  has  any ;  expose  its 
hiding-places;  disclose  it  as  it  is;  and,  if  it  be  possible,  leave  it 
no  disguise  through  which  an  honest  heart  can  be  deceived. 
We  would  destroy  the  error  that  we  may  rescue  the  erring.  I 
offer  no  apology,  then,  for  doing  that  which  is  my  duty;  for  at- 
tempting to  show  what  Swedenborgianism  attempts  to  be ;  what 
delusions  it  embraces;  and,  beyond  these  delusions,  how  it  con- 
tradicts the  word  of  God.  Let  us  only  pray  that  all  may  be 
done  with  that  temper  which  the  Holy  Ghost  sheds  abroad  in 
the  heart,  and  that  we  all  may  be  enlightened  by  the  truth  as  it 
is  in  Jesus!" 

It  may  seem  strange  that  a  sermon  preached  in  a  remote  coun- 
try church,  and  never  published,  should  attract  much  attention 
abroad,  but  strong  efforts  were  made  by  Swedenborgian  minis- 
ters at  a  distance  to  draw  the  Bishop  into  a  public  discussion, 
and  he  was  even  called  upon  to  retract  publicly  some  of  his  asser- 
tions. 

To  all  this  he  had  but  one  answer,  that  he  was  at  liberty  to 
preach  to  his  own  congregation  what  he  thought  right,  and  held 
himself  accountable  to  no  man. 

A  similar  circumstance  occurred  at  another  time,  when,  having 
instructed  his  people  on  the  subject  of  baptism,  he  was  called  to 
account  by  a  Baptist  minister  in  another  town.  His  answer  to 
that  gentleman  has  been  preserved. 

Gardiner,  November  2,  1848. 

"  Reverend  and  Dear  Sir  :  Regard  for  the  rights  of  the  pas- 
toral office  compels  me  to  decline  a  formal  answer  to  your  ques- 
tion. Whatever  I  said  was  said  to  my  own  people,  not  even  from 
the  pulpit,  but  in  familiar,  pastoral  instruction  ;  and  of  this  I 
cannot  think  it  a  duty  to  give  any  explanation  to  a  third  party, 
unless  private  character  had  been  involved. 

Should  you  have  any  desire  to  know  my  sentiments  on  the 
subject  of  which  I  then  spoke,  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  state 


278  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

them  fully,  in  a  personal  interview,  and,  for  that  purpose,  to  see 
you  at  my  house  at  any  time. 

In  Christian  candor,  however,  I  am  ready  at  once  to  say,  that 
I  rejoice  in  the  belief  that  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  is  held  sub- 
stantially by  the  numerous  and  respectable  denomination  of  the 
Baptists ;  and  that  I  have  no  thought  of  placing  them  with  those 
who  deny  the  divinity  of  our  Lord,  or  the  future  retribution.  At 
the  same  time  you  are  perfectly  aware  that  the  great  mass  of  Chris- 
tians do  consider  the  Baptists,  in  rejecting  the  baptism  of  little 
children,  to  be  in  an  error ;  in  an  error  which  is  quite  at  variance 
with  the  Spirit  of  the  Gospel ;  in  conflict  with  the  example  and 
design  of  our  Saviour  ;  subversive  of  Christian  communion  ;  and 
prejudicial,  both  in  theory  and  practice,  to  the  religious  educa- 
tion of  the  young. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

George  Burgess." 


XXXVII. 

AS  A  TEACHER. 

This  Section  is  prepared  by  the  Rev.  Frederic  Gardiner,  D.  D., 
now  Professor  at  the  Berkeley  Divinity  School,  formerly  the  chief 
assistant  of  the  Bishop  in  the  instruction  of  the  Candidates  for 
Orders  in  his  Diocese.  Rev.  Dr.  Gardiner  is  the  son  of  Hon. 
Robert  H.  Gardiner,  long  the  closest  of  the  friends  of  the  Church 
and  of  the  Bishop  in  Maine.  His  own  deep  love  and  reverence 
for  the  Bishop  have  added  to  the  glow  of  this  just  display  of 
him  as  a  scholar  and  teacher. 

"The  qualifications  of  Bishop  Burgess  for  the  work  of  an 
instructor  were  in  some  respects  remarkable,  yet  were  kept  so 
much  in  the  background  by  his  singular  modesty  that  any  tole- 
rable expression  of  them  may  incur  the  risk  of  seeming  to  deal 
in  exaggeration  and  eulogy  to  those  who  did  not  know  him  in 
this  relation.  Nevertheless,  he  was  eminently  one  whose  whole 
character  impressed  itself  upon  every  part  of  his  work.  What 
he  was  as  a  man,  as  a  parish  priest,  as  a  Bishop,  that  he  was  also 
as  an  Instructor. 

It  would  be  out  of  place  here  to  speak  of  the  native  vigor  and 
grasp  of  his  mind,  and  of  the  distinctness  with  which  he  singled 


AS  A   TEACHER.  279 

out  the  main  point  of  a  subject  and  kept  attention  to  this,  making 
all  inferior  matters  subservient  ;  for  this  is  apparent  in  every  part 
of  his  character  and  throughout  his  whole  conduct  of  life.  Yet 
such  a  characteristic  is  evidently  of  prime  importance  in  the  in- 
struction, particularly  of  more  advanced  students,  and  it  was  by 
this  means  especially  that  the  Bishop  was  able  so  largely  to  mould 
the  habits  of  thought  of  those  who  came  under  the  influence  of 
his  instruction.  Neither  time  nor  labor  was  lost  in  following  out 
side  issues.  The  particulars  of  the  subject  were  all  mastered  with 
diligence  and  accuracy ;  but  before  entering  upon  them  a  broad 
view  was  taken  of  the  whole,  and  the  detail  studied  in  reference 
to  the  knowledge  thus  acquired  of  the  true  position  and  bearing 
of  each.  He  who  traces  out  singly,  and  lays  down  separately 
on  paper  each  road  and  stream  in  his  neighborhood,  will  find, 
when  the  work  is  done,  that  large  corrections  are  needed,  both 
in  bearings  and  proportions  before  his  separate  surveys  can  be 
united  in  one  common  mass.  The  Bishop,  if  the  illustration  may 
be  continued,  sought  rather  first  to  gain  a  general  and  connected 
view  of  the  whole  field  from  some  commanding  height,  and  from 
that  position  to  note  the  bearing  and  proportions  of  each  object; 
and  then,  as  he  carefully  worked  out  the  detail,  every  part  fell 
of  itself  into  its  proper  place.  In  the  interpretation  of  Scripture, 
for  example,  if  an  Epistle  was  to  be  studied,  the  Bishop's  habit 
led  him  first  to  examine  the  general  scope  of  the  whole  book ; 
when  this  was  mastered,  he  was  prepared  to  study  advantageously 
the  lesser  parts  with  their  subdivisions,  sentences,  clauses,  and 
words.  In  systematic  divinity,  the  great  fundamental  truths  of 
religion  were  ever  before  him,  and  those  of  secondary  import- 
ance were  always  examined  in  the  clear  light  thus  thrown  upon 
them.  His  habit  was  the  same  in  every  other  department  of 
theology,  and  indeed  in  every  branch  of  human  knowledge  to 
which  he  gave  his  attention.  The  Bishop  was  far  too  conscien- 
tious and  faithful  a  scholar  to  allow  this  habit  to  lead  him  into 
erroneous  generalizations  and  superficial  conclusions.  Guarded 
against  this  danger,  it  gave  unusual  clearness  and  precision  to  his 
own  convictions  of  truth,  and  remarkable  power  in  imparting 
these  to  others. 

It  is  always  a  great  help  to  the  student  to  have  his  work  mapped 


2  8o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

out  before  him  with  accuracy  and  clearness,  and  when  this  can 
be  done  for  him  by  one  who  has  himself  thoroughly  filled  up 
the  outline  and  is  familiar  with  all  its  proportions,  his  advantage 
is  complete.  Such  was  the  advantage  of  those  whose  privilege 
it  was  to  sit  under  the  teaching  of  Bishop  Burgess. 

To  this  he  joined  also  another  faculty  of  scarcely  inferior  value, 
that  of  presenting  results,  whether  of  life-long  study,  or  of  ripe 
pastoral  experience,  in  such  pithy  and  comprehensive  suggestions 
as  at  once  attract  the  attention  and  are  easily  retained  in  the 
memory  ;  while  study  and  growing  experience  continually  bring 
them  afresh  to  the  mind  and  add  ever  increasing  confidence  in 
their  wisdom  and  truth.  Such  suggestions  embody  principles 
rather  than  rules,  and  can  only  flow  from  a  knowledge  and  an 
experience  both  broad  and  deep.  Many  such  a  suggestion  from 
the  lips  of  Bishop  Burgess,  treasured  by  those  whom  he  instructed, 
is  even  now  found  of  constant  and  fruitful  use  both  in  their 
studies  and  in  their  pastoral  work. 

No  native  characteristics  can  sufficiently  qualify  an  instructor 
for  his  work,  without  patient  labor  in  the  acquisition,  and  skill  and 
power  in  the  retention  of  knowledge.  The  public  have  had  some 
opportunity  of  judging  of  the  Bishop  in  these  respects,  from  his 
published  works  and  his  frequent  public  addresses.  The  author 
of  the  '  Metrical  Translation  of  the  Psalms'  could  not  have  been 
without  knowledge,  nor  the  writer  of  'The  Last  Enemy,' 
without  patient  labor,  nor  the  compiler  of  '  Pages  from  the 
Ecclesiastical  History  of  New  England,'  without  skill  in  the 
arrangement  and  condensation  of  his  material.  But  only  to  a 
long  practised  and  sagacious  critic  can  these  works  suggest  any- 
thing like  the  amount  of  scholarly  work  upon  which  the  Bishop 
was  constantly  engaged.  Those  who  were  admitted  to  his  study, 
which  was  always  open,  and  its  occupant  always  at  leisure  to 
enter  cordially  into  whatever  subject  the  visitor  had  to  present, 
might  see  upon  his  table  an  amount  and  variety  of  work  which 
would  suffice  to  confound  in  advance  any  ordinary  intellectual 
vigor.  Besides  the  mass  of  correspondence  attended  to  with 
conscientious  promptness,  and  the  daily  city  papers  and  the 
London  Times,  which,  as  well  as  the  weekly  American  and 
English  papers,  and  the  larger  reviews,  were  read  rapidly  in- 


AS  A   TEACHER.  281 

deed,  but  attentively,  there  was  always  the  sermon  in  progress, 
and,  in  addition  to  this,  some  considerable  literary  work  of  a 
more  elaborate  and  permanent  character.  The  latest  fruit  of  his 
pen  is  his  '  Historical  Inquiry  into  the  Sources  of  the  Gospel  of 
St.  Luke.'  Frequently  some  short  poem  or  longer  literary  or 
historical  address  might  also  have  been  found  there.  Before  him 
always  was  his  well-worn  Hebrew  Bible.  In  the  earlier  years 
of  his  ministry  he  had  read  this  through  systematically  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  and  he  had  kept  up  such  a  familiarity  with  it, 
that  he  was  able  to  conduct  an  examination  in  Hebrew  of  a 
candidate  for  orders  without  the  book  in  his  hand.  It  was  cha- 
racteristic of  him  that  he  nevertheless  ordinarily  used  the  book. 
But  on  one  occasion  when  there  happened  to  be  no  other  copy 
of  the  Hebrew  Bible  at  hand,  and  an  examination  came  on  un- 
expectedly, he  gave  the  book  to  the  student,  directing  him  to 
make  his  own  selection  of  a  passage,  and,  when  he  hesitated  in 
his  reading,  the  Bishop  supplied  for  him  the  Hebrew  word  or  its 
translation  as  need  required.  The  Greek  New  Testament  lay 
near  the  Hebrew  Old,  and  formed  part  of  the  contents  of  his 
valise  when  he  travelled,  and  was  the  text  from  which  he  was 
accustomed  to  speak  to  his  people  in  his  more  familiar  lectures. 
He  was  so  conversant  with  its  language,  that  when  any  particular 
text  was  under  discussion  in  conversation,  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  him  to  repeat  it  from  memory  readily  and  accurately. 
There  was  also  open  upon  his  table  some  solid  theological  work, 
in  German  or  in  English  as  the  case  might  be  ;  and  if  one  had 
the  curiosity  to  notice  the  mark  between  the  leaves,  he  would 
find  it  advanced  several  score  of  pages  with  each  successive  day. 
A  volume  of  Anderson's  British  Poets  was  always  certain  to  be 
found  also  near,  and  these  were  read  with  such  attention  that 
whole  pages  of  them  could  be  supplied  by  his  memory,  when  in 
the  quiet  circle  of  friends  any  circumstance  suggested  the  appro- 
priateness of  the  quotation.  With  the  standard  English  prose 
writers  he  was  scarcely  less  familiar ;  while  the  lighter  current 
literature,  books  of  travel  and  memoirs,  without  excluding  the 
better  class  of  fiction,  was  reserved  for  reading  aloud  in  the 
family  circle.  He  gave  little  or  no  time,  however,  to  the  Greek 
and  Latin  classics  in  their  original  tongues,  although  well  read 


282  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

in  their  translations,  and  for  natural  science  he  had  no  taste.  It 
was  perhaps  only  by  setting  these  aside  that  it  was  possible  for 
man  to  undertake  and  to  accomplish  what  he  did  in  other  de- 
partments. 

It  was  with  a  mind  thus  gifted  and  trained  that  he  approached 
the  work  of  instruction.  It  would  not  be  just  to  say  that  he  had 
any  fondness  for  this  especial  work.  On  the  contrary,  simple 
teaching,  or  the  mere  communication  to  another  of  information 
possessed  by  one's  self,  was  distasteful  to  him  and  he  shrank  from 
it.  Yet  it  sometimes  happened  that  it  fell  to  his  lot  to  do  even 
this  particular  thing  ;  and  when  it  did,  his  strong  convictions  of 
duty  not  only  overcame  his  natural  repugnance,  but  made  him 
a  most  efficient  teacher.  Whatever  he  determined  with  himself 
that  he  ought  to  do,  that  he  was  sure  he  could  do  ;  otherwise 
there  would  have  been  no  such  obligation.  Accordingly,  what 
he  ought  to  do,  and  could  do,  he  did  do.  This  conscientious 
habit  of  thought  and  action  was  of  value,  not  merely  in  enabling 
him  occasionally  to  discharge  well  the  lowest  office  of  the  teacher, 
but  also  in  greatly  increasing  his  usefulness  and  efficiency  in  its 
highest  duties.  Without  this,  breadth  may  endanger  superfi- 
ciality, and  the  fascination  of  hasty  generalizations  be  accepted 
as  a  cover  for  shallowness  and  even  unsoundness.  With  Bishop 
Burgess,  the  supremacy  of  duty  and  his  conscientious  faithful- 
ness in  whatever  it  belonged  to  him  to  do,  enabled  him,  without 
incurring  these  dangers,  to  reap  the  full  advantage  of  the  broad- 
est generalizations.  He  could  generalize  wisely  and  securely, 
because  he  was  willing  to  undertake  and  go  patiently  through 
with  that  labor  of  detail  which  must  ever  form  the  only  sure 
foundation  for  such  superstructure. 

One  might  sometimes  be  startled  at  the  extreme  breadth  and 
generality  of  some  of  his  positions  in  the  department,  for  example, 
of  Ecclesiastical  History  ;  but  if  it  had  been  his  good  fortune  to 
listen  to  one  of  his  oral  lectures  to  his  students,  delivered  without 
special  preparation,  he  would  have  been  still  more  amazed  at  the 
enormous  induction  of  facts  on  which  those  generalizations  were 
based.  He  had  so  thoroughly  imbued  his  mind  with  the  events 
of  secular  as  well  as  of  ecclesiastical  history,  with  a  knowledge 
of  the  life,  character,  and  personal  connections  of  the  chief  actors 


AS  A   TEACHER.  283 

of  any  age;  with  the  geography  and  physical  features,  the  cli- 
mate, productions,  and  habits  of  the  various  countries  which  bore 
a  part  in  the  development  of  the  period ;  and  with  the  general 
state  of  learning  and  knowledge  of  science  of  the  time,  that  the 
whole  rose  before  his  view  in  its  totality.  When  he  thought  or 
spoke  of  an  event  or  of  the  act  of  any  historical  person,  it  was 
not  as  an  isolated  fact,  but  in  all  its  bearings  and  connections. 
This  gave  to  his  lectures  a  graphic  power  which  riveted  the  at- 
tention and  thus  left  its  impress  upon  the  memory.  As  it  was  a 
constant  source  of  wonder  to  those  who  listened  to  his  lectures, 
so  it  must  be  well  nigh  impossible  for  others  to  believe,  what  an 
immense  amount  of  the  most  varied  knowledge,  and  especially 
what  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  life  and  character  of  the 
individual  actors  of  history,  he  thus  brought  to  bear  upon  each 
historical  problem.  This  wonderful  richness  of  learning  was 
brought  out,  not  only  without  effort  and  without  ostentation,  but 
apparently  almost  without  consciousness.  It  was  like  the  con- 
versation of  any  intelligent  person  upon  a  subject  with  which  he 
has  been  long  and  thoroughly  familiar.  He  speaks  of  it  in  its 
broad  and  general  features  in  order  to  convey  to  another  mind 
the  best  possible  comprehension  of  it ;  but  in  doing  so,  he  will 
often  unintentionally  and  unconsciously  show  his  own  perfect 
familiarity  with  its  every  detail.  The  Bishop  was  thus  able  to 
throw  an  amoimt  of  light  upon  any  obscure  point,  and  to  bring 
a  fulness  of  evidence  to  the  settlement  of  any  doubtful  question 
which,  even  if  insufficient  to  establish  a  positive  conclusion,  could 
yet  hardly  fail  to  result  in  a  just  and  true  view  of  the  matter  in 
its  bearings  and  relations.  By  this  means  he  banished  techni- 
calities and  subtleties,  and  substituted  reality  in  every  discussion. 
Behind  all  that  he  uttered,  too,  there  evidently  lay  a  still 
further  mine  of  knowledge,  whose  wealth  had  been  used  in  the 
formation  of  his  own  views,  but  which  he  had  not  thought 
necessary  to  bring  out  to  light.  Glimpses  of  this  were  seen 
sometimes  when  a  student  undertook  to  question  a  view  he  had 
presented.  In  its  defence  he  would  bring  out  from  his  store  a 
fresh  amount  of  evidence  or  information,  and  again  more  and 
more,  until  either  the  point  became  clear  to  the  student's  mind 
or  else  it  appeared  that  he  did  not  care  to  be  convinced.     In 


284  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

either  case  the  flow  of  information  was  then  arrested,  not  appa- 
rently from  any  exhaustion  of  his  resources,  but  only  because 
the  occasion  did  not  call  for  the  use  of  more.  He  was  certainly 
tenacious  of  his  own  views,  for  he  had  adopted  them  carefully, 
after  impartial  and  thorough  investigation ;  but  this  tenacity  was 
consistent  with  the  utmost  charity  of  opinion.  So  far  from  being 
arbitrary  or  dogmatic,  he  had,  except  in  regard  to  the  very  fun- 
damentals of  the  faith,  that  rare  liberality  which  is  really  content 
to  have  others  hold  with  equal  tenacity  views  differing  from  one's 
own.  He  was  somewhat  fond  of  argument  with  those  with  whom 
he  was  on  intimate  terms,  using  it  as  a  means  of  bringing  out 
both  sides  of  a  question  and  obtaining  a  fair  view  of  it  in  all  its 
bearings.  He  would  even  sometimes,  with  very  intimate  friends, 
for  the  same  purpose,  take  up  and  maintain  the  side  opposite  to 
that  which  he  really  held,  although  probably  this  was  only  done 
when  he  thought  there  could  be  little  risk  of  having  his  true 
opinions  misunderstood.  With  his  students,  however,  he  argued 
the  point  in  question  so  calmly  and  candidly,  that  the  result  was 
conviction,  or  at  least,  a  genuine  respect  for  the  view  he  advo- 
cated. Such,  however,  was  the  symmetry  and  comprehensive- 
ness of  his  own  mind  that  except  with  students,  for  whose  right 
opinions  in  the  main  he  naturally  felt  a  certain  degree  of  respon- 
sibility, or  with  very  intimate  friends,  he  seldom  thought  it 
worth  while  to  combat  peculiar  views  if  not  utterly  incompatible 
with  essential  soundness  of  belief. 

His  highest  qualification  for  the  office  of  an  instructor  in 
theology  lay  in  his  own  holiness  of  character,  and  the  reality 
which  all  religious  truth  possessed  to  his  own  mind  and  heart. 
It  was  evident  that  in  this,  as  in  all  other  things,  his  model  was 
the  example  of  his  Divine  Master.  His  patience,  his  forbearance, 
his  charity ;  his  tenderness  and  sympathy ;  his  unmistakable 
earnestness  and  devotion  ;  his  conscientiousness  in  his  work,  and 
his  evident  love  for  others  and  desire  to  help  them  to  occupy  the 
same  broad,  generous  and  loving  stand-point  with  himself;  his 
high  sense  of  honor,  with  his  uprightness  and  integrity  ;  these 
gave  a  confidence  in  the  man  and  inspired  an  affection  which 
were  insensibly  transferred  to  the  instructor,  and  predisposed 
those  whom  he  taught  to  look  to  him  with  reverence  and  to  re- 


^S  A   TEACHER.  285 

ceive  his  instructions  with  avidity.  This  feeling  was  strengthened 
by  experience  of  the  extraordinary  patience  with  which  he  bore 
with  imperfect  apprehension  and  with  crude  and  mistaken  no- 
tions of  any  kind.  Having  sowed  the  seed,  he  knew  that  time 
and  much  culture  must  be  required  before  the  fruit  could  ripen, 
if  ever,  and  he  was  content  to  leave  the  result  in  a  higher  hand. 
It  could  not  but  be  that  he  should  encounter  in  the  world  some 
whose  own  standard  was  too  low  to  allow  of  their  appreciating 
such  a  character,  and  whose  disposition  was  too  perverse  to  re- 
ceive any  permanent  improvement  from  its  influence.  With  such 
persons,  after  this  fact  had  once  become  absolutely  plain,  al- 
though his  conduct  towards  them  was  still  marked  by  uniform 
kindness,  he  attempted  to  accomplish  little.  Their  path  lay  in 
a  different  direction  from  his  own,  and  he  would  not  throw  away 
effort  which  must  prove  ineffectual. 

There  were  other  points  in  the  intellectual  qualifications  of  the 
Bishop  for  the  work  of  an  instructor,  which  must  not  be  passed 
over  wholly  without  notice.  There  is  apt  to  be  too  much  of 
accident,  as  well  as  of  constraint,  in  the  formation  of  a  clergy- 
man's library,  to  make  it  quite  just  to  judge  of  the  man  from 
the  collection  of  books  around  him;  yet  the  Bishop's  collection, 
although  not  very  extensive,  was  large  enough  to  indicate  the 
character  of  his  own  choice,  and  no  book  stood  unused  upon 
his  shelves.  There  were  to  be  found  there  comparatively  few 
of  the  more  modern  works,  while  his  library  was  rich  in  patris- 
tics,  always  in  the  original  languages,  in  the  older  commentaries, 
and  in  standard  works  of  English  divinity.  With  these  also  were 
a  few  of  the  more  important,  or  more  characteristic  works  of 
German  theologians,  and  of  French  preachers,  both  in  their  own 
tongues,  which  he  read  and  spoke  with  ease.  His  minute  fami- 
liarity with  the  early  controversies  of  Christianity,  and  with  the 
works  of  the  principal  Fathers,  both  of  the  Eastern  and  of  the 
Western  Church,  might  perhaps  have  been  expected  from  one 
who  had  long  made  them  the  especial  objects  of  his  study ; 
although  even  then  it  would  have  been  surprising  that  he  should 
have  retained  not  merely  the  general  features,  but  so  much  also 
of  the  smallest  detail,  fresh  in  his  recollection  quite  to  the  end 
of  life.     He  frequently  went  entirely  over  the  writings  of  some 


286  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

voluminous  author,  to  acquaint  himself  thoroughly  with  his  views 
on  some  particular  subject.  Thus  within  a  year  or  two  of  his 
death  he  reviewed  the  works  of  Tertullian,  and  copied  out  all 
the  passages  he  met  with  bearing  directly  or  remotely  on  the 
subjects  of  Infant  Baptism,  and  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church.  His 
close  knowledge  of  the  great  writers  of  the  later  ages,  Alcuin, 
Aelfric,  and  Thomas  Aquinas,  could  hardly  have  been  antici- 
pated. He  was  unwilling  to  leave  himself  without  an  intimate 
personal  acquaintance  with  the  writings  of  the  masters  of  thought 
of  any  age  or  of  any  school.  The  sermons  of  the  great  English 
divines  were  read  and  re-read  until  he  had  fully  possessed  himself 
of  the  habits  of  thought  and  expression  of  each.  Tillotson,  Atter- 
bury,  Taylor,  Beveridge,  Sherlock,  Waterland,  and  others,  each 
stood  in  his  own  individuality  in  his  mind.  It  was  the  same,  too, 
with  the  great  French  pulpit  orators,  Massillon,  Bourdaloue,  and 
Bossuet,  and  to  a  considerable  extent  also  with  such  leading 
dissenting  divines  as  Owen,  Flavel,  and  Baxter.  He  had  ac- 
quired by  long  habit  the  power  of  reading  with  great  rapidity, 
and  by  this  means  was  able  to  extend  his  acquaintance  over  a 
far  larger  number  of  works  than  is  ordinarily  practicable.  He 
attached  much  value  to  this  habit,  and  occasionally  recommended 
it  to  others,  considering  it  one  which  any  one  could  acquire  by 
resolute  effort.  It  may  be  doubted  whether  this,  at  least  to  any- 
thing like'the  extent  possessed  by  him,  is  generally  possible.  For 
his  reading  was  not  a  mere  cursory  glance,  but  a  mastery  of  the 
matter.  His  habit  of  broad  observation  and  of  skilful  generali- 
zation enabled  him  at  once  to  seize  the  salient  features  of  his 
author,  while  his  equally  developed  habit  of  minute  observation 
allowed  nothing  of  importance  to  escape  his  attention.  His 
work  on  the  Gospel  of  St.  Luke  gives  abundant  evidence  at  once 
of  the  extensiveness  of  his  reading  and  the  minuteness  of  his 
observation.  The  same  thing  was  often  shown  to  his  students 
in  his  ordinary  exegesis,  and  it  has  been  remarked  by  them 
that,  while  he  neither  owned  many  of  the  abundant  volumes  of 
recent  criticism,  nor  used  them  much,  he  yet  often  brought  out 
from  the  treasures  of  his  own  patient  labor  some  of  the  best 
results  which  they  advanced  as  their  own  discovery.  Yet  he  kept 
himself  informed  of  the  critical  researches  of  the  best  European 


JS  A   TEACHER.  287 

and  American  scholars.  He  by  no  means  despised  the  labors 
of  others,  but  they  were  too  voluminous  and  yielded  too  little 
reward  for  the  labor  of  their  study  to  one  who  had  already  mas- 
tered the  sources  from  which  they  drew  their  results. 

With  the  English  Bible,  in  its  exact  language,  he  was  so  tho- 
roughly familiar  that  he  seldom  had  recourse  to  a  concordance, 
a  book,  which  he  remarked,  that  he  believed  he  never  owned. 
He  always  knew  the  connection  in  which  the  passage  he  sought 
was  to  be  found,  the  book  and  the  part  of  the  book,  so  that  he 
could  find  it  sooner  in  the  Bible  itself  than  look  it  out  in  the  con- 
cordance. The  same  disposition  which  made  him  thus  at  home 
in  the  Scriptures  themselves,  led  him  to  a  corresponding  know- 
ledge of  the  history  of  the  period  between  the  times  of  the  Old 
and  the  New  Testament.  A  good  knowledge  of  the  connection 
between  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  founded  upon  original 
sources,  involves  a  considerable  course  of  reading  which  lies  some- 
what out  of  the  usual  course  of  investigation.  It  is  closely  con- 
nected, however,  with  the  subject  of  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy; 
a  subject  in  which  the  Bishop  always  took  a  most  lively  interest. 
With  the  same  diligent  research  he  sought  to  gather  all  that  could 
be  known  of  that  obscure  period  which  intervened  between  the 
close  of  the  inspired  story,  and  the  beginning  of  any  full  authentic 
history  of  the  Church.  Important  as  is  the  knowledge  of  this 
period  to  every  Christian  scholar,  he  was  persuaded  that  much 
might  yet  be  done  for  its  elucidation,  and  it  is  believed  that 
he  had  himself  accumulated  material  in  his  mind  which  would 
have  been  of  great  value  to  the  Church.  Such  investigations  had 
given  him  a  singularly  firm  conviction  of  the  Apostolic  character, 
both  of  the  polity  and  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Church,  of  whose 
highest  ministry  he  was  himself  a  member.  Such  conviction  he 
sought  to  impress  upon  those  who  came  under  his  instructions. 
He  was  particularly  decided  and  clear  on  the  fact  of  the  Apos- 
tolic succession.  On  one  occasion,  a  student  who  had  received 
most  of  his  training  in  another  religious  body,  said  to  him  :  '  If 
a  Congregationalist  should  say  to  me,  '  your  idea  of  an  Apostolic 
succession  in  the  ministry  is  entirely  unsupported  by  the  testimony 
of  history,  I  am  afraid  I  could  not  refute  his  arguments.'  The 
Bishop,  in  the  words  of  one  who  was  present,  replied,  as  his  eyes 


288  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

flashed  ;  '  Then  bring  him  to  me  and  I  will  show  him  how  the 
succession  is  traced  to  the  times  of  the  Apostles.'  He  was 
equally  firm  and  clear  on  other  points,  and  he  often  expressed 
his  opinion  that  many  of  the  errors,  both  in  doctrine  and  in 
practice,  which  appeared  in  our  Church  from  time  to  time,  were 
the  result  of  ignorance  of  the  standard  authorities  of  our  com- 
munion as  well  as  of  the  writers  of  the  early  Church. 

The  aim  which  Bishop  Burgess  set  before  himself  in  his  in- 
structions was,  first  of  all,  truth.  He  himself  belonged  fully  to 
no  school,  to  no  party.  He  looked  at  every  question  independ- 
ently, considered  it  on  its  own  merits,  and  sought  to  form  his 
own  judgment  and  to  teach  others  to  do  so,  on  this  basis.  There 
is  always  a  fascination  to  the  learner  in  such  candor.  Men 
generally  are  easily  and  often  misled  even  by  the  affectation  of 
it.  But  with  the  Bishop  it  was  real,  and  true,  and  deep.  He 
was  so  thoroughly  convinced  that  whatever  is  not  of  God  cannot 
abide,  and  that  whatever  is  true  is  from  Him  and  whatever  is  not 
of  Him  is  false,  that  he  ever  made  reality  and  truth  the  one  ob- 
ject of  his  pursuit.  This  gave  great  strength  and  power  to  his 
instructions.  The  student  might  feel  that  he  was  naturally  liable 
to  the  same  infirmities  of  judgment,  and  the  same  erroneous 
deductions  from  imperfect  information  as  other  men ;  but  when 
he  came  gradually  to  perceive  how  wonderfully  full  and  com- 
plete was  his  information,  how  well  balanced  and  controlled  by 
the  great  variety  of  its  scope,  and  how  singly  all  his  life  long  he 
had  sought  only  that  which  was  true,  and  had  ever  unflinchingly 
cast  aside  theories  and  prejudices  which  came  into  conflict  with 
these  convictions,  he  could  not  fail  to  give  him  his  confidence. 
Yet  this  love  and  pursuit  of  the  truth  was  not  that  of  an  over- 
confident or  self-conceited  mind;  he  united  with  it  a  conserva- 
tive spirit,  and  great  reverence  for  the  decisions  of  antiquity. 
It  was  a  fixed  point  with  him  that  unless  the  word  of  God  were 
more  obscure  than  the  writings  of  ordinary  men,  whatever  it  had 
been  understood  to  say  by  the  great  mass  of  its  devout  readers 
in  all  ages  and  in  all  lands,  that  must  of  necessity  be  its  real 
meaning.  Hence  his  own  reasonings  and  investigations  were 
ever  guided  by  the  voice  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  all  matters 
in  which  that  voice  had  been  distinctly  uttered.     There  was  no 


^S  A   TEACHER.  289 

servile  subjection  of  his  own  intellectual  convictions  to  this  or 
any  other  constraint :  but  there  was  such  a  generous  and  just 
appreciation  of  the  importance  and  significance  and  truth  of  this 
catholicity,  that  with  the  most  free  and  unfettered  examination 
of  every  question,  it  is  inconceivable  that  he  should  ever  have 
been  found  in  the  ranks  of  the  schismatic  or  the  separatist.  He 
looked  with  apprehension  and  dread  upon  every  movement  that 
partook  of  this  spirit,  and  more  than  once  lifted  his  warning 
voice  against  organizations  within  our  Church  that  seemed  to 
embody  and  express  such  tendencies. 

The  Bishop  deeply  felt  that  religious,  like  scientific,  truth  can 
well  afford  to  court  the  freest  investigation,  knowing  that  the 
most  thorough  research,  made  with  an  honest  and  good  heart, 
can  lead  to  but  one  result.  As  the  teacher  of  natural  science 
exhorts  her  pupils  to  the  freest  exercise  of  their  own  examina- 
tion, and  yet  has  no  question  in  regard  to  the  laws  in  which  those 
examinations  must  at  last  issue ;  so  the  theologian  can  have  no 
doubt  of  the  conclusion  that  must  result  from  a  fair  examination, 
for  example,  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  or  of  any  other 
eternal  truth,  however  searchingly  made.  It  was  thus  that  the 
Bishop  himself  fearlessly  and  thoroughly  sought  after  truth,  and 
it  was  thus  that  in  his  instructions  he  led  others  to  seek  it,  well 
knowing  where  it  was  to  be  found,  and  that  no  diligent  and 
honest  search  could  lead  the  inquirer  to  any  other  result.  This 
undoubting  confidence  in  the  truth  gave  a  delightful  openness 
and  candor  to  all  his  teaching.  One  was  always  quite  sure  that 
no  point  would  be  slurred  over  that  the  mind  might  be  led 
quickly  away  from  dangerous  ground,  and  that  no  fascinating 
theories  hastily  taken  up  without  examination  would  be  put  for- 
ward as  truth  by  all  means  to  be  received.  There  vvas  no  attempt 
to  overawe  a  younger  mind  by  the  mere  show  of  larger  learning 
and  superior  wisdom.  Time  indeed  could  not  suffice  for  a 
detailed  examination  of  each  particular  point  of  theology,  and 
none  realized  more  fully  than  Bishop  Burgess  that  many  things 
must  be  taken  for  granted.  But  the  things  thus  assumed  were  ever 
the  plainest  teachings  of  the  Divine  word,  or  those  which  had 
been  most  fully  established  by  the  common  consent  of  the  Church 
in  all  ages.  He  thought  that  the  theological  student  need  not 
19 


ago  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

set  out  upon  his  studies  with  every  foundation  of  his  faith  treated 
as  uncertain  and  requiring  to  be  established  anew  ;  but  that  many 
truths,  such  for  example  as  the  existence  of  God  and  the  cardinal 
doctrines  of  revelation,  were  to  be  treated  as  truths,  certain  and 
established,  and  not  capable  of  being  called  in  question.  They 
were  to  be  studied  to  show  the  reasonableness  and  certainty  of 
the  ground  upon  which  they  rest ;  but  not  as  if  in  any  sense  they 
were  still  open  questions  on  which  it  was  possible,  legitimately, 
to  arrive  at  any  difference  of  conclusion.  He  thus  communi- 
cated to  the  minds  of  others  something  of  the  firmness  and  sta- 
bility that  belonged  to  his  own.  Ever  remembering  that  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  a  'faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,'  he  could 
exhort  them  to  hold  it  fast  and  earnestly  to  contend  for  it.  It 
must  be  evident,  however,  from  what  has  been  already  said,  that 
with  him  and  his  teaching  this  involved  no  surrender  of  the 
freedom  of  intellectual  conviction,  nor  of  conscientious  faithful- 
ness in  the  examination  of  all  truth.  He  aimed  at  the  combina- 
tion of  personal  independence  with  a  due  regard  for  the  garnered 
wisdom  of  the  ages  that  have  gone  before,  and  above  all,  with 
the  profoundest  reverence  for  the  teachings  of  the  word  of  God. 

His  method  of  teaching  was  somewhat  peculiar,  and  resulted 
partly  from  his  own  habits  and  mental  characteristics,  partly 
from  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed.  In  theological 
instruction  his  duty  was  small  so  far  as  mere  text  books  were 
concerned.  The  labor  of  mastering  their  contents  fell  on  the 
student  himself,  and  the  examination  as  to  the  faithfulness  of  his 
work,  so  far  as  it  was  not  left  to  the  student' s  own  conscience,  usually 
fell  upon  others.  It  remained  for  the  Bishop  to  give  that  which 
text  books  cannot  supply,  to  infuse  into  the  students  something 
of  his  own  scholarly  spirit,  and  to  mould  their  method  of  study 
by  teaching  those  habits  of  generalization  and  ready  seizing  upon 
the  essential  features  of  a  subject  which  was  so  characteristic  of 
himself;  and  above  all  to  impart  to  them  habits  of  fairness, 
freedom,  and  reverence,  in  the  examination  of  every  question, 
in  the  constant  recollection  of  the  realities  of  life,  and  in  look- 
ing forward  to  their  own  chosen  work. 

Perhaps  no  better  illustration  of  his  method  can  be  given, 
than  by  a  brief  description  of  his  lectures  on  Ecclesiastical  His- 


AS  A   TEACHER.  291 

tory.  This  was  his  favorite  department.  It  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  students  who  attended  these,  studied  the  usual 
text  books,  together  with  the  Apostolic  Fathers,  Eusebius,  &c., 
under  another  clergyman.  His  plan  was  to  divide  each  century 
into  three  spaces,  each  embracing  the  ordinary  lifetime  of  a 
generation,  and  through  the  whole  of  which  individual  men 
might  have  been  active  in  carrying  on  by  themselves,  and  in  hand- 
ing down  to  others  who  were  to  succeed  them,  the  work  and  life 
of  the  Church.  A  personal  chain  of  labor,  of  teaching,  and  of 
authority,  was  thus  established,  reaching  from  the  ministry  of 
our  Lord  Himself  down  to  our  own  day.  Beginning  with  the 
generation  who  were  alive  during  the  Saviour's  own  sojourn 
upon  earth,  and  some  of  whom  knew  Him  personally  in  the  flesh, 
he  devoted  one  lecture  of  an  hour  to  each  of  the  fifty-six  gene- 
rations since.  The  object  of  the  lecture  was  to  give  a  brief, 
comprehensive  view  of  the  Church  and  of  the  world  in  its  rela- 
tions to  the  Church,  during  that  generation.  The  individual 
actors  and  writers  in  each  were  brought  prominently  forward 
and  portrayed  by  a  few  graphic  touches,  while  their  personal  con- 
nections and  influences  were  never  lost  sight  of.  The  hearer 
was  transported  into  the  midst  of  the  generation  described,  and 
led  to  look  out  from  the  stand-point  of  those  who  were  then 
alive  ;  to  think  and  feel  for  the  moment  with  them ;  to  see  what 
were  their  purposes  and  aims,  and  to  recognize  the  consequences 
resulting  from  their  acts.  Amid  all  the  mass  and  variety  of  matter 
thus  necessarily  brought  forward,  attention  was  especially  called 
to  individual  Christians  who  had  personally  known  and  con- 
versed with  others  of  the  previous  generation,  whom  he  had  in 
the  same  way  pointed  out  in  the  preceding  lecture,  and  who  were 
themselves  in  like  manner  personally  known  to  men  of  the  gene- 
ration following.  In  this  way  a  direct  line  of  personal  knowledge 
was  traced  from  the  speaker  and  the  hearer  to  the  very  presence 
of  our  Lord.  The  possibility  of  ascertaining  such  a  line  might 
be  doubted  beforehand;  it  was  accomplished  by  the  Bishop 
with  certainty  and  security.  Great  as  is  the  interest  and  value 
of  such  a  thread,  it  would  seem  that  in  the  tangled  web  of  human 
affairs  it  must  needs  be  sometimes  lost,  and  the  extensiveness  and 
minuteness  of  the  Bishop's  learning  became  very  conspicuous 


292  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

in  his  ability  to  trace  it  out  completely.  The  difificulties  were 
often  great,  and  especially  when  the  link  between  prominent 
actors  of  history  was  to  be  sought  out  in  obscurity  ;  but  these 
he  never  failed  to  overcome,  and  the  long  chain  of  personal 
acquaintance  through  all  the  centuries  of  the  Christian  era  was 
finally  established  on  an  unquestionable  basis.  It  was  an  especial 
delight  to  him  when  some  long  life,  such  as  that  of  the  beloved 
disciple,  enabled  him  to  link  two  or  three  generations  together 
by  a  twofold  cord,  and  thus,  as  it  were,  to  bridge  over  a  gene- 
ration and  bring  the  one  beyond  it  into  immediate  contact  with 
the  one  before. 

In  other  departments  of  course  this  particular  plan  was  not 
applicable  ;  but  the  methods  chosen  were  equally  well  adapted 
to  their  end.  In  all  cases  he  aimed  at  giving  his  students  a  broad 
view  of  the  whole  subject,  and  teaching  them  how  to  fill  in  the  de- 
tail for  themselves.  He  always  commended  them  to  original 
sources  of  information,  or  at  least  to  the  writings  of  holy  and 
learned  men  of  the  past,  whose  discussions  had  been  proved  by 
time,  rather  than  to  more  modern  treatises.  Indeed  he  constantly 
advised  them  to  abstain  from  reading  the  current  theological 
literature  of  the  day,  especially  in  controversial  matters,  until 
they  had  obtained  some  knowledge  of  the  subject  from  sources 
more  sure  to  be  free  from  any  controversial  bias. 

Beneath  the  kindness,  forbearance,  and  modesty  of  the  Bishop, 
there  lay  in  reserve  a  resolute  firmness  which  sometimes  even 
partook  of  the  character  of  severity.  It  was  seldom  called  into 
exercise  in  this  form ;  but,  when  on  occasions  he  was  satisfied 
that  it  was  called  for,  no  kindness  of  heart,  no  shrinking  from 
giving  pain,  was  allowed  to  overcome  the  sense  of  duty.  Such 
severity  had  tenfold  effect  from  the  knowledge  of  the  effort  it 
cost  him,  and  the  conviction  that  nothing  short  of  what  he 
conceived  to  be  the  imperative  demand  of  duty  could  have 
induced  him  to  put  it  forth.  On  such  occasions  the  force  of 
the  reproof  was  blunted  by  no  show  of  palliation,  and  the  real 
kindness  with  which  it  was  given  was  to  be  learnt  only  from  his 
ordinary  and  habitual  course.  In  consequence  it  was  seldom 
that  frivolity  ventured  to  trifle  with  the  work  the  student  had 


a^'-M 


CHURCIIMANSIIIP.  293 

before  him,  or  even  perversity  refused  to  avail  itself  of  the  extra- 
ordinary advantages  of  such  an  instructor. 

The  result  of  such  a  system  of  teaching,  pursued  by  one  thus 
qualified,  and  guided  in  his  instructions  by  such  purposes,  it  is 
not  necessary  to  describe.  It  is  not  to  be  sought  chiefly  in  the 
amount  of  information  communicated,  although  this  was  often 
both  large  in  itself  and  most  valuable  in  its  character ;  neither 
was  its  main  result  in  opening  up  to  the  student  the  sources  of 
knowledge,  and  familiarizing  him  with  the  means  and  appliances 
for  its  pursuit,  although  in  this  respect  also  his  teachings  will 
always  be  gratefully  remembered  by  those  who  enjoyed  them. 
Even  his  communication  to  the  student  of  his  own  methods  and 
something  of  his  own  habits  of  study  would  fail  to  express  fully 
the  value  of  his  instructions.  But  he  was  as  an  instructor  what 
he  was  as  a  man.  The  same  holiness  of  life,  the  same  weight  of 
character  which  so  uisensibly  and  so  indescribably  produced  a 
powerful  impression  for  good  wherever  he  was  known,  upon  his 
parish,  upon  the  town  where  he  lived,  upon  his  clergy,  upon 
his  diocese,  told  with  concentrated  power  upon  the  little  cluster 
of  students  who  were  brought  into  daily  contact  with  him,  and 
under  the  influence  of  his  daily  instructions.  The  effect  could 
not  but  assimilate  them,  at  least  in  some  degree,  in  purpose  and 
character  to  himself.  No  higher  result  of  teaching  can  be  sug- 
gested, no  richer  reward  for  such  an  instructor  proposed,  than 
that  those  whom  he  taught  should  be  incited  and  aided  to  follow 
him  as  he  followed  Christ." 


XXXVIII. 
CHURCHMANSHIP. 

The  editor  feels  happy  in  securing  an  estimate  of  Bishop 
Burgess'  Churchmanship  from  one  who  had  so  good  and  fre- 
quent opportunities  for  observing  it  as  Bishop  Coxe,  of  Western 
New  York,  and  is  deeply  grateful  to  him  for  writing  this  section. 
It  assumes  the  form  of  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Bishop  Burgess  or  the 
editor. 


294  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

"It  is  with  no  ordinary  degree  of  satisfaction  that  I  comj)ly 
with  your  request  to  give  you,  from  ray  own  impressions  and 
recollections,  an  estimate  of  what  is  called  the  Churchmanship 
of  the  late  Bishop  of  Maine.  I  have  ever  held  that  the  school 
of  Churchmen  to  which  I  would  refer  him,  is  legitimate  and 
most  valuable  in  our  communion  ;  although  I  have  never  con- 
cealed my  own  opinion  that  the  normal  type  of  Anglican  Church- 
manship is  found  in  another  school,  that  of  the  great  divines  of 
the  Stuart  period  of  English  History.  The  school  to  which 
Bishop  Burgess  belonged  was  that  of  the  Orange  period,  but  not 
without  something  which  he  gathered  from  that  of  Venn,  and 
Cecil,  and  Romaine.  He  was  no  Calvinist,  nor  was  his  piety 
that  of  'the  Clapham  coterie,'  with  its  amiable  tea-drinkings 
and  benevolent  table-talk.  He  was  a  well-balanced  conserva- 
tive Churchman  of  the  English  type,  rather  than  the  dogmatic 
ecclesiastic  of  a  more  Catholic  period,  holding  like  Bishop  An- 
drewes  to  the  Anglican  doctrine,  with  constant  reference  to  the 
patristic  and  primitive  standards  of  the  whole  Church.  Some- 
thing more  than  the  Churchmanship  of  Tillotson,  and  something 
less  than  that  of  Wake,  with  much  of  the  spirit  which  was  com- 
mon to  both  of  those  eminent  prunates,  always  appeared  to  me 
characteristic  of  Bishop  Burgess. 

I  say  always ;  but  you  must  allow  me  to  explain  that  when  I 
first  knew  him  he  was  more  like  Tillotson,  and  when  I  last  con- 
versed with  him  I  felt  that  he  was  quite  up  to  the  measure  of 
Wake. 

When  I  first  heard  him,  in  1842,  I  was  struck  with  his  very 
marked  character  as  a  divine  of  the  'Evangelical  School.'  He 
was  strictly  of  that  school,  and  confessedly  so;  but  by  school  I 
do  not  mean  party.  This  distinction  is  of  great  importance  in 
estimating  the  man.  He  could  not  be  a  partisan.  Independent 
thought  and  great  liberality  saved  him  from  this ;  and  could  he  have 
been  accepted  as  the  adviser  and  leader  of  his  brethren  in  that 
school,  I  am  persuaded  that  it  would  have  been  felt  most  bene- 
ficently in  the  public  measures  of  the  Church  in  this  country,  and 
would  have  exerted  a  more  decided  and  a  more  lasting  influence 
than  its  partisan  organization  has  been  able  to  secure  for  it.  In 
the  nature  of  things,  the  positive  churchmanship  of  a  Seabury  or 
a  Hobart  will  be  the  predominant  spirit  of  a  Church  which  is 
forced  to  assert  its  distinguishing  characteristics,  in  a  land  of 
immeasurable  Sectarianism ;  but  the  spirit  of  a  White  and  a  Gris- 
wold  working  in  that  Church,  is  capable  of  checking  the  mere 
Ecclesiasticism  to  Avhich  a  tendency  exists,  necessarily,  where  a 
conflict  is  actively  maintained,  between  Church  and  sect;  be- 
tween Organic  and  Inorganic  Christianity.  This,  even  in  his 
earlier  ministry,  Bishop  Burgess  seemed  to  understand.     He  was 


CHURCHMANSHIP.  295 

willing  that  others  should  assert  more  than  he  was  prepared  to 
contend  for,  and  felt  that  he  and  others  like  him  had  a  twofold 
mission,  not  in  antagonism  to  the  '  High  Church'  brethren  but 
as  the  complement  of  their  work.  It  was  his  chosen  part  to 
show  the  brethren  of  Evangelical  Sects,  how  large  and  liberal, 
after  all,  were  the  actual  requirements  of  our  Church,  and  how 
much  they  were  in  accordance  with  the  recorded  views  of  the 
Continental  Reformers;  and  then,  it  was  his  work  and  the  desire 
of  his  heart  to  develop  the  highest  type  of  practical  godliness, 
in  connection  with  the  order  and  beauty  of  our  liturgical  wor- 
ship and  our  ancient  discipline. 

I  noted,  therefore,  in  Mr.  Burgess,  as  Rector  of  Christ  Church, 
in  Hartford,  a  strict  and  conscientious  observance  of  the  rubrics 
and  requirements  of  the  Church,  up  to  a  certain  recognized 
standard,  which  was  beyond  that  of  the  practical  conformity  of 
many  nominal  High  Churchmen.  He  was  particularly  fond  of 
the  solemnities  of  Passion  Week  and  Easter,  and  did  not  a  little  to 
endear  them  to  his  flock,  and  to  commend  their  spiritual  bless- 
ings to  others. 

In  the  steady  round  of  the  duties  he  prescribed  to  himself,  on 
these  principles,  he  was  distinguished  by  a  spirit  that  I  never  have 
seen  so  strongly  developed  in  any  other  man :  I  mean  a  spirit 
of  confidence  that  he  was  imparting  to  his  people  the  means  of 
grace  in  the  way,  and  in  the  degree  best  suited  to  their  souls. 
He  used  to  disclaim  one  kind  of  pastoral  anxiety,  which  some 
assume  and  others  affect,  and  which  others  again  do  really  bear 
as  a  heavy  burthen,  growing  out  of  the  awful  responsibilities  of 
the  Sacred  Ministry  ;  he  used  to  labor  '  in  season  and  out  of 
season,'  'publicly  and  from  house  to  house;'  and  then  having 
done  his  best  to  '  give  every  one  his  portion  of  meat  in  due 
season,'  he  used  to  enjoy  the  belief  that  God  would  bless  it  be- 
yond all  his  hopes  and  deserts  ;  and  in  this  confidence  he  seemed 
to  have  a  peace  of  mind,  which  was  very  attractive  and  not  a 
little  encouraging  to  those  who  observed  it.  He  was  averse  to 
experiments,  and  to  all  excitements  in  the  religious  training  of  a 
parish  ;  he  believed  more  in  the  continual  dew  of  God's  blessing, 
than  in  thunder  storms.  He  was  attentive  to  his  Sunday  school, 
and  exerted  himself  in  Bible  class  instruction.  He  was  opposed 
to  less  or  more  than  the  due  ministration  of  the  means  of  grace 
which  he  had  adopted  for  himself,  and  which  was  as  orderly,  as 
far  as  it  went,  as  any  old-fashioned  '  High  Churchman'  could 
desire. 

When  the  '  Oxford  Tracts'  began  to  be  felt  in  our  Church, 
and  when,  at  an  early  period  of  that  movement,  some  very  dan- 
gerous elements  began  to  be  visible  in  England  and  among  our- 
selves, I  certainly  felt  that  Mr.  Burgess  was  disposed,  for  a  time, 


296  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

to  recoil  from  his  own  medium  position  and  to  fall  back  into  a 
much  lower  one.  In  conversations  about  '  the  Apostolic  Succes- 
sion,' I  remember  he  used  to  say  that  'he  attached  no  import- 
ance to  it  except  as  an  historical  verity.'  He  admitted  the 
demonstrable  fact,  and  rejoiced  that  it  was  preserved  to  us  ;  but 
he  declared  to  me  that  he  would  not  hesitate  to  kneel  at  a  Lu- 
theran Table,  in  communion,  and  he  ingeniously  supported  this 
position,  as  he  does  in  the  '  Strife  of  Brothers,'  a  poem  expres- 
sive of  his  theories  at  this  period  of  reaction.  I  say  of  his 
theories,  for,  in  practice,  I  believe  nobody  kept  closer  to  the 
j^eneral  spirit  of  the  Church,  in  this  respect,  though  he  was  cau- 
tious as  to  any  inferences  against  the  ministry  and  sacraments  of 
others. 

After  this,  and  especially  after  he  saw  with  his  own  eyes  the 
effete  and  unorthodox  Puritanism  of  Maine,  I  observed  in  his 
conversation  and  in  the  spirit  of  his  ministrations,  a  more  decided 
testimony  in  favor  of  the  Apostolic  system  of  our  own  Church 
as  the  only  system  to  be  depended  on ;  and  as  a  system  so 
Scriptural,  and  so  generally  approved  by  the  great  German  Re- 
formers and  by  the  more  moderate  English  Dissenters,  as  to 
leave  a  very  heavy  responsibility  on  all  who  reject  it.  This  was 
the  tone  of  some  very  animated  remarks  I  heard  from  him,  in 
the  summer  of  1859,  when  I  met  him  at  Dr.  Howe's,  near 
Bristol.  He  could  not  excuse  the  Methodists  for  their  wanton 
departure  from  the  avowed  doctrines  of  their  great  founder ;  he 
could  not  justify  their  gratuitous  separation  and  their  most  un- 
warrantable perseverance  in  the  formalities  of  ordaining  bishops, 
while  they  deny  the  existence  of  such  an  order.  Besides,  he 
thought  their  essential  differences  from  the  Church  so  slight,  that 
the  creation  of  a  new  division  among  Christians,  on  such  frivo- 
lous grounds,  was  one  of  the  most  humiliating  events  in  the 
history  of  Protestant  Christendom.  He  had  no  doubt  of  the 
Apostolic  succession  of  our  bishops,  and  he  felt  very  strongly 
on  the  want  of  candor  and  good  faith  which  seems  to  charac- 
terize those  who  dispute  it.  How  can  they  be  indifferent  to  such 
a  claim,  he  argued,  or  how  can  they,  without  bearing  false  wit- 
ness, deny  the  facts  we  assert,  until  they  have  had  the  patience 
and  taken  the  pains  to  examine  them?  To  refute  them  he  justly 
felt  was  impossible. 

It  was  now  that,  in  several  conversations  I  had  with  him  on 
subjects  of  the  day,  I  felt  that  his  mature  and  settled  convictions 
were  essentially  those  of  a  decided  Churchmanship,  combined 
with  an  unchanged  devotion  to  the  practical  views  of  the  Evan- 
gelical School.  He  had  no  sympathy,  apparently,  with  those 
who  are  dissatisfied  with  the  sacramental  language  of  the  Prayer 
Book ;  he  reflected  that  such  was  the  language  of  the  symbolic 


CIIUR  CIIMA  NSIIIP.  297 

books  of  Lutherans  and  Calvinists,  and  of  die  AVestminster  Pres- 
byterians, and  he  seemed  to  have  a  scholarly  pity  for  the  weak 
objections  that  are  made  to  our  offices  of  late  by  a  class  of  good, 
but  ill-informed  men.  -He  was  opposed  to  the  organization  of 
partisan  societies  to  do  the  work  which  the  Church  has  assigned 
to  her  own  constitutional  instrumentalities.  He  was  a  practical 
enemy  to  divisions,  and  with  all  his  aversion  to  the  Romanizing 
faction  which  he  saw  in  its  beginnings  amongst  us,  he  made  it 
no  excuse  for  withdrawing  from  the  general  work  of  the  Church, 
and  he  cordially  co-operated,  to  the  last,  with  those  brethren  of 
the  Catholic  School  whose  Catholicity  asserts  itself,  impartially, 
against  Romanism,  as  well  as  against  Sectarianism.  In  short. 
Bishop  Burgess  was  incapable  of  any  narrow  or  proscriptive 
principles,  and  enjoyed  the  large  liberty  with  which  the  Church 
endows  her  children.  He.  loved  the  Reformation  in  its  popular 
sense  ;  Luther's  Reformation  as  well  as  that  of  the  Anglican 
Church,  but  he  saw  and  loved  the  distinctive  features  of  the 
latter,  and  did  not  wholly  condemn  those  who  have  little  sym- 
pathy with  the  confused  and  lifeless  Protestantism  of  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe. 

I  have  often  thought  Bishop  Burgess  had  Bishop  Heber  in  his 
mind  as  the  pattern  of  a  Bishop,  and  was  content  to  be  such  as 
he  was,  or  would  have  been,  had  he  lived  a  little  later.  His 
piety  was  in  many  respects  like  Heber's;  and  so  was  his  tone 
of  thought,  in  its  exemption  from  vulgar  prejudices  and  in  the 
liberal  scholarship  with  which  it  was  imbued.  There  was  an 
elevation  of  sentiment  about  the  man,  which  necessarily  enlarged 
and  beautified  his  religious  principles.  His  delight  in  English 
history,  and  his  extraordinary  biographical  knowledge  sur- 
rounded him  with  'a  cloud  of  witnesses,'  and  a  host  of  friends 
among  departed  worthies,  with  whom  '  he  conversed  night  and 
day,'  like  Southey  in  his  library.  He  loved  and  cherished  this 
invisible  society,  and  allowed  it  to  shape  his  own  disposition  and 
character.  How  could  he  object  to  this  or  that  which  Jeremy 
Taylor  loved,  which  Wilson  enjoyed  so  thoroughly,  which 
Berkeley  would  have  approved  ?  So  he  seemed  to  reason  with 
himself;  and  so  he  lived  above  the  petty  disputes  of  meaner 
men,  and  aloof  from  the  degrading  influences  of  provincial 
cliques,  and  of  the  half-educated  and  conceited  leaders  of  pop- 
ular opinion.  He  was  a  prelate  in  many  respects  worthy  to  be 
named  with  some  of  the  best  of  those  who  have  adorned  the 
Mother  Church ;  but  he  was  a  true  American,  who  valued  the 
freedom  and  the  organic  system  of  our  own  Church,  and  who 
furnishes  an  example  to  all  its  children,  of  loyalty  to  its  disci- 
pline, and  fidelity  to  its  sacred  interests,  which  may  safely  be 
commended  to  all,  and  to  those  more  especially  who  sympathize 


298  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

with  his  'Evangelical  principles,'  and  admire  the  tone  and 
temper  of  his  piety.  It  will  be  a  proof  of  utter  degeneracy  in 
the  Church,  if  the  simple  fact  that  Bishop  Burgess  committed 
his  memory  to  no  factious  or  partisan  custody,  does  not  prove 
the  greater  security  for  its  grateful  preservation  among  Church- 
men and  among  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 


XXXIX. 

LETTERS. 

To  the  estimate  of  the  Bishop's  Churchmanship  from  the  able 
pen  of  Bishop  Coxe,  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  add  extracts  from 
familiar  letters,  and  a  few  incidents  remembered  by  friends,  which 
show,  on  the  one  hand,  his  freedom  from  one-sided  views,  and, 
on  the  other,  his  strong  attachment  to  the  Church,  and  his  readi- 
ness to  assert  her  claims. 

These  extracts  will  be  given  in  the  order  in  which  they  were 
written  rather  than  with  reference  to  the  occasions  which  called 
them  forth. 

"  Hartford,  January  g,  1841.  I  hear  that  Mr.  John  Wayland 
has  become  an  Episcopalian.  It  does  not  much  surprise  me ; 
as  indeed  I  never  can  be  surprised  that  a  man  of  learning,  can- 
dor, and  devout  earnestness  of  spirit,  should  be  led  to  embrace 
the  doctrines  and  the  system  of  our  Church." 

"Hartford,  July  17,  1843.  ^^  to  the  recent  affairs  in  New 
York,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  exact  mode  of  procedure 
adopted  by  Dr.  Smith  and  Dr.  Anthon  was  unadvised  ;  but  I  do 
not  see  how  any  great  harm  can  be  done  ;  and,  for  my  part,  I 
am  heartily  glad  that  the  public  attention  should  be  drawn  to  a 
thing  which  ought  to  be  corrected.  We  must  await  their  expla- 
nation ;  but  my  impression  is  from  what  I  have  already  heard, 
that  in  England  no  person  avowing  the  opinions  avowed  by  Mr. 
Carey  would  have  been  permitted  to  receive  orders.  There  is 
an  article  in  the  last  number  of  the  'Quarterly  Review,'  which  I 
have  read  with  much  gratification.  It  is  on  the  rubrics  and 
ritual  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  it  pronounces  all  the 
Tractarian  doctrines  to  be  virtually  rejected  by  the  Church 
through  its  Bishops.  As  the  '  Quarterly  Review'  has  been  supposed 
rather  favorable  to  those  writings,  it  is  pleasant  to  see  so  decided 
a  rejection  of  all  their  novelties.     I  am  sorry  that  we  must  have 


LETTERS.  299 

SO  much  controversy  all  around  us,  and  perhaps  amongst  us  ; 
but  it  is  only  one  more  trial  of  our  fidelity,  our  meekness  and 
our  unity  of  spirit.  When  all  shall  be  over,  the  Church,  I  be- 
lieve, will  remain  as  it  was  before;  and  men  will  be  but  the  more 
convinced  that,  while  it  cannot  secure  its  members  from  human 
weakness  and  sinfulness,  it  has  yet  within  itself  such  elements 
of  permanence  in  the  truth,  as  belong  to  no  sectarian  body. 
Bowing  in  the  Creed  is  an  old  custom,  which  I  should  never 
have  relinquished,  and  which  we  follow  generally  here  ;  but  I 
should  not  think  a  formal  recommendation  of  it  important,  or, 
unless  under  peculiar  circumstances,  expedient. 

After  all,  there  are  higher  things  than  these ;  '  yet  show  I  unto 
you  a  more  excellent  way.'  " 

With  regard  to  some  Church  controversy  he  writes  : — 

"  March  5,  1850.  However,  if  we  cannot  all  be  entirely  of  one 
mind,  we  may  yet  strive  together  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel 
against  its  common  adversary.  The  controversy  only  reaches 
me  through  newspapers  ;  we  have  none  of  it  here,  but  are  content 
to  lead  men  to  their  Saviour,  and  to  preserve  many  of  them  from 
worse  errors  than  even  those  of  superstition.  And  God  be 
thanked  for  the  cheerful  hope  of  that  world  where  we  shall  see 
'  face  to  face.'  " 

To  a  former  classmate  and  friend,  a  Congregationalist,  he 
wrote  : — 

Gardiner,  May  2,  1851. 

' '  My  Dear :  The  change  which  has  been  made  in  the  time 

of  the  Commencement  throws  it  precisely  on  the  day  of  our  Dio- 
cesan Convention.  Of  course,  therefore,  it  will  be  impossible  for 
me  to  be  present  at  the  anniversary,  and  to  exchange  personal  salu- 
tations with  our  old  classmates,  whom  I  shall  assuredly  remember 
at  this  season  with  affection,  and  with  the  prayer  that  much  more 
than  an  earthly  bond  may  unite  our  hearts  and  minds. 

I  wish  I  could  have  said  with  confidence  that  our  friend  had 
indeed  become  a  devout  believer.  At  the  same  time,  it  was  to 
me  a  matter  of  great  joy  that,  after  having  been  accustomed  from 
his  youth  to  the  influence  of  the  Universalist  doctrines,  he  should 
have  been  brought,  in  connection  with  a  pious  wife,  into  a  posi- 
tion in  which  he  would  be  more  or  less  affected  by  a  constant 
exhibition  of  the  Gospel  through  the  ordinances  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  He  was  certainly  much  nearer  to  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  as  far  as  the  means  of  grace  are  likely  to  lead  us  to  sal- 
vation, than  before. 

The  danger  which  you  suggest  is  one  to  which  my  own  con- 
science does  not  tell  me  that  I  am  very  liable.     And  I  confess 


300  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

that  it  was  not  without  a  passing  sensation  of  pain  that  I  found 
myself  admonished  by  one  who  should  know  me  against  '  laying 
too  much  stress  upon  the  externals  of  Christianity,'  and  charged 
with  'laying  too  much  upon  the  term  Episcopalian.'  A  little  re- 
flection, however,  removes  that  pain.  The  warning  was  kindly 
intended  ;  and  the  time  may  come  when  it  may  be  as  needful  for 
me  as  I  acknowledge  it  to  be  for  some  in  our  communion.  But 
shall  I  startle  you  if  I  say  that  you  lay  greater  stress  than  I  upon 
externals  ?  They  may  be  of  a  different  kind  ;  negative  rather 
than  positive,  but  I  am  mistaken  if  you  do  not  uphold  with  more 
pertinacity  the  austere,  rigid  nakedness  of  one  system  than  I  do 
the  touching  and  solemn  beauty  of  the  other.  In  this  respect, 
too,  our  'Puritan  ancestors'  were  by  no  means  wanting.  My 
venerable  and  pious  grandfather,  who  is  the  only  one  of  his  line 
beyond  my  father,  of  whose  religious  character  I  know  anything, 
could  not  bear  the  sound  of  an  instrument  of  music  in  public 
worship,  and  has  been  known  to  leave  the  house  of  God  on  its 
introduction.  Was  that  an  example  to  be  followed  ?  But  that 
was  the  spirit  of  Puritanism;  the  piety  with  which  it  was  joined 
was  not  at  all  peculiarly  Puritan.  Or,  was  that  an  indifference 
to  externals  ?  No ;  where  they  were  wrong,  let  us  frankly  ac- 
knowledge it,  and  not  take  it  for  granted  that  the  ways  of  our 
ancestors  should  necessarily  be  more  correct  than  those  of  the 
ancestors  of  others.  If  we  are  to  go  back,  why  not  to  the  be- 
ginning ?  There,  I  apprehend  that  the  study  of  early  Christian 
history  in  connection  with  the  Scriptures  would  show  you  so  much 
more  of  Episcopacy  than  you  have  allowed  yourself  to  suppose, 
that  you  would  cease  to  wonder  at  the  warmth  of  our  attachment 
to  institutions,  so  many  of  which  have  come  down  to  us  from 
times  older  than  Puritanism  and  than  Popery. 

I  fear  that  I  may  have  troubled  you  by  this  kind  of  discussion ; 
and  yet,  though  I  began  it,  I  am  not  sorry  for  it.  For,  it  seems 
to  me  better  occasionally  even  to  cross  the  feelings  of  each  other, 
than  that  near  friends  and  relatives  should  settle  down  into  a  quiet 
determination  never  to  speak  freely  to  each  other  on  subjects,  on 
which  they  look  with  a  common  interest,  though  with  views 
somewhat  different ;  as  if  they  could  not  speak  or  be  spoken 
to,  without  giving  or  taking  offence.  In  the  mean  time,  be  as- 
sured, my  dear ,  that  the  bond  which  unites  us  is  in  my  view 

ten  thousand  times  more  precious  than  all  which  can  divide  us, 
while  our  hearts  are  really  one  in  our  blessed  Lord. 

Your  affectionate  friend." 

To  Mr.  Gardiner  he  writes,  March  8th,  1859  : — 

"There  seems  to  be  abroad,  in  our  Church,  as  far  as  I  can 
judge  from  the  newspapers,  a  kindling  up  of  a  narrow  party- 


LETTERS.  301 

spirit,  from  which  I  am  not  without  fears  of  mischief  Whether 
anything  is  intended  by  much  which  is  said,  I  really  do  not 
know  ;  but  many  people  seem  determined  that  the  Church  shall 
be  practically  divided.  We  greatly  want,  under  God,  able, 
large  minds  in  our  ranks,  thoroughly  devoted  to  the  cause  of 
Christ,  and  filled  with  wisdom  and  zeal.  How  much  do  we  miss 
the  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania  !  But  there  is  nothing  to  discourage  ; 
on  the  contrary,  never  was  there  a  better  time  to  live  and  work, 
or  a  grander  prospect." 

His  Churchmanship  was  of  the  broadest  character.  He  re- 
fused to  be  classed  with  any  party  in  the  Church,  and  very 
rarely  used  the  words  High  and  Low  as  applied  to  his  brethren; 
never  except  in  familiar  conversation.  "Is  this  a  High  or  a  Low 
Church  Diocese?"  asked  a  stranger.  The  Bishop,  with  great 
good  nature,  said  in  reply:  "  My  dear  sir,  we  are  not  strong 
enough  to  indulge  in  such  luxuries." 

He  never  sought  to  supply  the  parishes  in  his  diocese  entirely 
with  clergymen  whose  views  agreed  in  all  points  with  his  own, 
but  was  willing  to  recognize  the  capacity  of  a  good  man  for  use- 
fulness, even  if  they  differed  on  many  subjects.  On  one  occa- 
sion, when  a  young  clergyman  was  proposed  for  a  parish  in 
Maine,  and  a  friend  of  the  Bishop,  anxious  that  the  harmony 
of  the  diocese  should  not  be  disturbed,  suggested  that  it  might 
not  be  pleasant  for  him  to  have  so  very  high  a  Churchman  in 
that  position,  he  put  aside  the  objection  with  the  remark  that,  if 
he  were  inclined  to  run  into  extremes  he  would  perhaps  do  less 
mischief  in  that  diocese  than  in  one  in  which  he  would  meet  with 
every  encouragement. 

Yet  he  could  speak  plainly,  and  on  suitable  occasions  did  not 
hesitate  to  claim  for  his  office  the  deference  which  he  would  not 
exact  for  himself. 

"In  one  of  our  parishes  a  candidate  for  confirmation  was  from 
one  of  the  denominations,  and  her  former  minister,  upbraiding 
her  for  making  the  change,  said  to  her:  'Why  do  you  talk  of 
Bishop  Burgess?  I  am  as  really  a  Bishop  as  he  is.'  Hearing  this 

story,  he  quietly  said  :   '  Tell   Mr.  that,  whatever  he  may 

call  himself,  he  knows  perfectly  well  that  I  am  something  that 
he  is  not.'  " 

The  following  extract  is  from  a  letter  from  a  former  Presbyter 
of  Maine  : — 


302  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

"I  remember  one  long  conversation  with  him,  in  which  he 
spoke  of  some  subjects  of  public  interest,  expressing  his  views 
upon  them  very  freely.  It  was  about  the  time  that  the  Bishop 
of  New  York  issued  his  pastoral  letter  in  regard  to  certain  irregu- 
larities of  which  some  .  of  his  clergy  had  been  guilty.  Bishop 
Burgess  condemned  the  course  of  those  clergymen  in  the  most 
decided  language.  If  he  were  legislating  in  the  House  of 
Bishops,  he  might  possibly  be  in  favor  of  a  broader  platform, 
but  what  the  law  of  the  Church  actually  is,  is  perfectly  clear ; 
he  should  obey  it  himself  and  should  require  his  clergy  to  do 
the  same. 

We  also  spoke  of  the  movement  looking  toward  unity  with 
the  Greek  Church.  The  Bishop's  opinion  was  by  no  means 
favorable  to  it.  He  spoke  of  the  reported  superstitions  of  the 
Russians ;  and  of  the  fact  that  we  know  so  very  little  of  the 
Eastern  Church.  He  did  not  think  it  was  possible,  with  our 
present  knowledge,  to  act  understandingly  in  the  matter.  I 
asked  him  in  reference  to  the  position  taken  by  the  Church 
Journal,  that  any  individual  priest  had  a  right  to  drop  the 
'  Filioque'  if  he  pleased.  The  Bishop  strongly  condemned  the 
position  as  false  in  itself  and  tending  to  anarchy." 

From  one  of  the  Bishops  of  the  Church  comes  the  following 
testimony: — 

"The  unflinching  boldness  with  which  he  expressed  himself, 
combined  with  so  much  gentleness,  often  awakened  my  admi- 
ration, and  never  more  than  in  the  trying  scenes  of  the  Conven- 
tion of  1865." 

Another  Bishop  writes: — 

"What  struck  me  was  his  deep  conviction  of  duty  to  God  and 
the  interests  of  the  Church  ;  the  carefulness  with  which  he  came 
to  his  conclusions  of  duty ;  the  unwavering,  unhesitating  firmness 
with  which  he  pursued  them ;  how  little  it  seemed  to  him  to  be 
judged  of  men,  when  he  that  judged  him  and  knew  his  heart 
was  the  Lord  for  whose  eye  he  chose  his  steps  ;  what  tender 
charity  and  deep  humility  mingled  with  all  his  thoughts  ;  what 
purity  and  absence  of  all  selfishness  adorned  them  ;  all  consti- 
tuting, under  the  light  of  his  clear  and  vigorous  understanding, 
a  measure  of  wisdom  which  has  seldom  been  excelled  in  this  evil 
world." 


AS  A  MISCELLANEOUS  WHITER.  303 

XL. 

AS  A  MISCELLANEOUS  WRITER. 

The  substance  of  a  valuable  and  discriminating  sketch  of  the 
Bishop,  as  a  writer  of  prose,  by  the  Rev.  Robert  A.  Hallam, 
D.D.,  of  Connecticut,  has  been  anticipated  by  other  contribu- 
tions to  his  Memoir.     A  few  paragraphs  may  be  taken. 

"Bishop  Burgess,  as  a  writer  of  prose,  may  in  many  respects 
be  looked  upon  as  a  model.  He  drew  his  words  out  of  the 
'well  of  English  undefiled,'  and  put  them  together  in  a  clear 
and  natural  order  that  made  them  the  exact  expression  of  the 
ideas  they  were  intended  to  convey.  His  terse  and  lucid  sen- 
tences never  left  his  reader  in  doubt  as  to  his  meaning  ;  nor  was 
the  reader  ever  perplexed  by  pedantic  allusions,  phrases  bor- 
rowed from  foreign  tongues,  or  figures  drawn  from  sources  with 
which  ordinary  men  could  not  be  familiar.  All  affectation  and 
pedantry  he  despised,  and  the  manifestation  of  it  in  others 
moved  him  to  irresistible  merriment.  His  style  was  peculiarly 
transparent.  The  thought  shone  through  it  undimmed  and  un- 
colored  ;  and  in  the  thought  shone  out  the  man,  as  sincere  as 
was  his  diction.  That  was  characterized  mainly  by  a  calm,  even, 
sustained,  rhythmical  flow,  which  made  it  always  agreeable,  and 
when  the  theme  and  the  feeling  prompted,  touchingly  beautiful 
and  impressive.  In  an  age  and  a  land  somewhat  given  to  spu- 
rious and  overstrained  expression,  he  wrote  remarkably  clean 
and  quiet  English ;  and  without  ever  straining  after  elegance  or 
force,  he  rose  upon  occasions  to  a  lofty  and  dignified  eloquence. 
His  own  pure  and  refined  nature  spoke  in  his  words  and  forms 
of  utterance.  Seldom  is  the  man  more  distinctly  seen  in  his 
writings. 

Bishop  Burgess  did  not  publish  many  books.  He  was  too 
busy  and  too  much  devoted  to  his  official  work  to  give  the 
necessary  time  to  a  department  of  usefulness,  which  he  might 
have  occupied  with  honor  to  himself  and  benefit  to  men.  Intent 
upon  one  thing,  nothing  else  was  ever  allowed  to  interrupt  it,  or 
come  in  competition  with  it.  'The  Last  Enemy,'  a  volume  of 
printed  sermons,  and  '  Pages  from  the  Ecclesiastical  History  of 
New  England,'  are  the  only  books  of  prose  of  any  considerable 
magnitude. 

His  '  Last  Enemy'  is  a  very  remarkable  book,  unique,  origi- 
nal in  its  conception  and  execution.  It  is  a  complete  anatomy 
of  death,  and  might  stand  beside  Burton's  '  Anatomy  of  Melan- 


304  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

choly,'  though  without  the  quaint  humor  of  that  singular  work. 
One  wonders  how  he  ever  contrived  to  heap  together  such  an 
immense  collection  of  facts.  Yet  this  was  characteristic  of  him. 
He  was  a  walking  magazine  of  facts.  This  in  many  men  might 
be  slender  praise ;  for  the  memory  that  simply  gathers  facts  to 
lie  loose  and  barren  in  the  mind  is  seldom  allied  to  great  quali- 
ties. But  in  Bishop  Burgess  it  was  praise.  For  in  his  mind  facts 
became  alive,  and  were  turned  to  useful  account.  They  became 
the  basis  of  arguments  and  conclusions,  and  in  carefully  consid- 
ered generalizations  told  upon  the  minds  of  men  with  efficient 
force.  A  sweet  spirit  of  pensive  reflection  pervades  the  book. 
Its  Christian  doctrine  and  sentiment  fit  it  to  do  good  to  the 
souls  of  men.  It  exhibits  death  from  the  Christian  standpoint, 
and  in  terse  and  forcible  language  directs  man  to  Him,  who  '  by 
His  death  hath  destroyed  death,'  and  by  whom  '  The  Last  Enemy' 
is  effectually  overcome. 

His  '  Pages  from  the  Ecclesiastical  History  of  New  England' 
came  out  anonymously,  and  its  appearance  excited  much  atten- 
tion and  called  forth  not  a  little  curiosity  and  wonder.  By  most 
it  was  attributed  to  some  Congregational  minister  who  had  lived 
through  the  events  it  so  minutely  and  accurately  described. 

It  was  Puritanism  in  its  American  phase  unmasked,  and  yet  so 
fairly  and  so  gently  that  no  charge  could  be  brought  against  it 
either  of  misrepresentation  or  hostility.  That  a  young  Episcopal 
Clergyman — and  such  then  was  Bishop  Burgess — had  done  such 
a  service,  men  could  not  easily  believe.  The  Bishop's  fondness 
for  facts  and  skill  in  using  them  showed  themselves  very  advan- 
tageously in  this  little  work. 

His  tract  on  '  Adult  Baptism'  has  proved  a  very  useful  auxiliary 
to  the  clergy  in  their  parochial  duties.  The  evil  at  which  it  aims 
is  rife  in  a  country  where,  though  it  is  called  Christian  by 
courtesy,  so  large  a  part  of  its  people  are  suffered  to  grow  up 
without  initiation  into  Christ's  flock,  and  are  taught  to  think 
lightly  of  His  ordinances.  The  calm  good  sense  that  pervades 
it,  and  the  happy  way  in  which,  while  it  maintains  the  claims  of 
spiritual  religion,  it  avoids  the  extravagances  of  sensible  con- 
version and  emotional  experience,  render  it  a  most  valuable 
help  to  the  Ministers  of  Christ's  Church,  in  dealing  with  those 
who  either  rationalize  away  the  obligation  of  baptism,  or  render 
it  the  mere  badge  of  a  sudden  and  violent  change  of  character. 

The  '  Stranger  m  the  Church'  is  a  simple  and  judicious  explana- 
tion of  our  worship,  designed  to  instruct  those  to  whom,  from 
want  of  familiarity  with  its  peculiarities,  they  are  perplexing  and 
perhaps  offensive.  It  gently  removes  misapprehensions,  com- 
bats prejudices,  enlightens  ignorance,  conveys  needful  infor- 
mation, and  helps  the  '  Stranger'  to  overcome  his  strangeness, 


AS  A  MISCELLANEOUS  WRITER.  305 

and  make  himself  at  home  in  our  holy  places.  Few  tracts  are 
more  useful  to  a  minister  of  the  Church  in  dealing  with  those 
cases  of  awakened  curiosity  or  incipient  proselytism,  which  are 
everywhere  encountered. 

To  a  higher  range  in  theological  literature  belongs  the  Bishop's 
admirable  charge  on  the  '  Personality  of  the  Devil.'  On  this  im- 
portant subject  it  is  an  exhaustive  and  unanswerable  argument. 
It  powerfully  and  successfully  combats  the  skepticism,  not  now, 
alas,  of  a  learned  class,  but  to  a  sad  extent  of  the  popular  mind 
also,  by  which  '  the  god  of  this  world'  is  reduced  to  a  mere 
imaginary  impersonation,  the  fruit  of  Jewish  superstition.  So 
Satan  disappears  and  with  him  vanish  responsibility,  law,  pun- 
ishment, a  judgment  to  come,  and  a  future  retribution  ;  and 
Christianity  degenerates  into  a  republication  of  the  religion  of 
nature,  garnished  with  a  few  current  names  and  phrases  to  keep 
up  its  credit  as  a  sacred  system  among  men.  To  those  whose 
minds  are  disturbed  with  doubts  on  these  great  and  solemn  ques- 
tions, and  to  the  ministers  of  the  Church  in  their  conflict  with 
the  mischievous  errors  of  modern  rationalism,  the  Bishop's  charge 
will  remain  an  armory  whence  they  may  draw  effective  weapons 
of  defence  and  refutation. 

An  article  of  the  highest  merit  and  value,  on  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  published  in  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra,  deserves 
to  be  especially  noted.  It  was  one  of  a  series  by  ministers  of 
various  denominations,  and  was  designed  to  present  the  Church 
to  general  readers ;  many  of  whom  were  already  prejudiced 
against  her.  It  may  be  characterized  as  temperate  but  decided ; 
outspoken  yet  conciliatory ;  with  nothing  of  loose  or  low  views ; 
a  pattern  for  treatises  upon  questions  of  a  controversial  character. 

'  The  Last  Journal'  of  the  Bishop,  pp.  Z2>^  written  not  for 
publication  but  for  the  gratification  of  family  friends,  and  pub- 
lished after  his  death,  is  an  account  of  some  of  the  incidents  and 
scenes  of  his  voyage  for  health  and  for  visitation  among  the  West 
Indies  and  to  Hayti.  It  is  full  of  fresh  and  delightful  descrip- 
tions, and  sweetly  notes  the  uneventful  days,  which  drew  towards 
the  close  of  an  earthly  life  ever  marked  by  faithful  service  to  the 
Lord." 


20 


3o6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

XLI. 

AS  A  POET. 

From  his  childhood,  Bishop  Burgess  not  only  wrote  verses,  but 
was  a  poet.  The  earliest  of  his  poems  which  was  published  was 
entitled  "The  Martyrdom  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,"  and  was 
recited  before  the  Rhode  Island  Alpha  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
Society,  at  its  anniversary,  September  3,  1834.  He  says  of  it, 
"  It  was  projected  and  begun  during  a  short  residence  in  Rome. 
Around  that  mighty  metropolis  of  the  earth,  the  history  of  all 
ages  seems  to  have  revolved ;  and  one  is  there  continually  dis- 
covering some  link  of  connection  between  the  ancient  and  the 
modern.  Such  a  link  I  thought  I  saw  in  the  tradition  of  the 
martyrdom  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul."  This  poem,  while  it 
abounds  with  classical  and  historical  beauties,  is  full  of  the  faith 
which  reverences  the  early  years  and  deeds  of  the  Church,  and 
of  the  piety  which  imitates  the  early  martyrs. 

Another  poem  of  some  length,  entitled  "The  Death  of  St. 
John,"  has  its  scene  in  Ephesus,  but  is  like  the  other  in  spirit 
and  in  style.  Except  that  we  were  assured  of  it  in  a  foot-note, 
one  could  hardly  believe  that  this  is  fanciful  in  its  origin,  and 
has  not  a  foundation  of  tradition  or  ancient  story. 

The  longest  of  all  his  poems  was  written  in  the  year  1827, 
shortly  after  his  graduation  from  College.  It  is  "The  Family 
Burial  Place,"  and  has  such  naturalness  of  pious  thought  and 
feeling,  that  all  on  reading  it  have  believed  it  to  relate  the  his- 
tory of  some  family,  and  to  describe  some  burial  place  in  the 
retired  parts  of  New  England.  This  poem  was  never  published 
in  the  Bishop's  lifetime. 

In  the  year  1840,  Mr.  Burgess,  then  a  Rector  in  Hartford, 
wrote  and  published  "  The  Book  of  Psalms,  translated  into  Eng- 
lish Verse."  Twenty  years  later,  with  the  earnest  desire  that  the 
Psalms  in  verse  might  regain  their  old  place  in  the  public  wor- 
ship of  the  Church  and  in  the  private  devotion  of  its  members, 
he  published  "The  Metrical  Psalter."  Both  these,  through  all 
the  changes  incidental  upon  versification,  hold  fast  the  sense 


AS  A  POET.  307 

of  the  Hebrew  text,  and  have  the  faith  and  fire  of  the  Psalmist. 
They  have  been  held,  especially  the  Metrical  Psalter,  by  the 
most  searching  of  the  critics  of  our  land  and  of  England,  to  be 
among  the  very  best  of  all  the  poetical  versions  of  the  Psalms 
ever  published. 

During  the  latter  part  of  his  residence  in  Hartford,  about  the 
year  1844,  he  published  anonymously  a  poem  in  two  parts,  called 
"  The  Strife  of  Brothers."  Its  title  and  date,  while  yet  the  ex- 
citement about  the  Oxford  Tracts  was  fresh,  show  its  design. 
Catholicus  and  Irenicus  are  presented  as  contending,  with  bro- 
therly feeling  and  earnestness ;  the  former  longing  for  the  re- 
newal of  a  Catholicity  too  much  tainted  with  the  spirit  of  medi- 
aeval error,  and  the  latter  anxious  for  the  prevalence  of  views 
which  seem  in  some  of  their  phases  almost  too  loose  for  a  well- 
grounded  creed  and  an  apostolic  polity  and  ritual.  The  field 
remains  with  Irenicus,  and  the  after  life  and  career  of  the  Bishop 
show  that,  with  such  peaceful  and  loving  recognition  of  the 
worth  and  intentions  of  all  Christians  may  abide  positive  con- 
victions of  the  claims  of  the  Church,  and  steadfast  loyalty  to  all 
her  standards  and  traditions. 

On  the  4th  of  August,  1847,  Dr.  Burgess  delivered  before  the 
House  of  Convocation  of  Trinity  College  a  beautiful  poem,  en- 
titled ''The  Poets  of  Religion."  In  it  they  are  sweetly  com- 
memorated. In  answer  to  a  request  for  a  copy  for  publication 
he  wrote,  ''  Nothing  but  a  desire  to  advance  in  any  manner  the 
interests  of  our  endeared  institution,  and  a  wish  to  cherish  among 
our  educated  men  the  honor  and  the  love  of  sacred  and  generous 
poetry,  persuaded  the  writer  to  undertake  the  task  of  delivering 
a  poem.  Nothing  else  has  induced  him  to  consent  to  its  publi- 
cation." 

Besides  these  may  be  mentioned  "The  Hours,"  twenty-four 
impressive  and  graceful  verses,  one  for  each  hour  of  the  day  ; 
the  short  poem  written  at  the  time  of  rebellion  and  strife  in  his 
native  Rhode  Island,  1842,  set  to  music,  and  sung  throughout 
the  State ;  the  patriotic  pieces  called  forth  by  the  late  war  for  the 
preservation  of  the  Union,  those  which  were  written  for  anni- 
versaries of  Colleges  and  Schools,  and  especially  the  elegant  and 
inspiring  proem  of  his  book,  called  "The  Last  Enemy  Con- 
quering and  Conquered." 


3o8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

The  Bishop,  though  appreciating  poetry  in  every  form,  never 
wrote  blank  verse.  His  lines  seldom  or  never  offend  the  strict- 
est rules  of  measure  or  rhyme.  His  subjects  are  pure  and  ele- 
vated, and  his  style  polished  and  refined.  The  love  of  Christ 
and  the  desire  to  glorify  Him  are  the  inspiration  of  all,  and  where 
these  appear  not  directly,  the  effort  to  do  good  to  men  is  very 
plain.  The  closing  stanza  of  his  poem  on  the  "Poets  of  Re- 
ligion" may  be  quoted  as  illustrating  the  spirit  which  framed  all 
his  poetry. 

"  THOU,  on  whose  altar  all  my  toils  are  laid, 
Accept  e'en  this ;  this  too  becomes  Thy  shrine ; 
Thy  children  come,  nor  thankless  nor  afraid, 
For  all  they  have  and  all  they  are  is  Thine ! 
Song  is  Thy  gift :  be  here  that  gift  divine, 
Winged  by  Thjf  love,  and  chastened  by  Thy  fear, 
And  while,  like  setting  stars,  our  lives  decline, 
Still  in  the  East  let  purer  orbs  appear. 
And  strains  that  seraphs  sing  find  answering  accents  here." 

Of  Bishop  Burgess  a  fellow  ''poet  of  religion"  writes, 
"  Among  the  Poets  of  Religion  whom  he  has  so  felicitously  cele- 
brated, he  has  all  unconsciously  inscribed  his  own  name ;  and  I 
rejoice  to  believe  that  when  our  native  land,  in  due  time,  shall 
have  largely  identified  itself  with  the  Church  of  which  he  was  a 
Bishop,  the  place  assigned  him  by  competent  criticism  will  be 
such  as  shall  make  his  poems  no  inconsiderable  part  of  the 
life-work,  by  which  he,  'being  dead,  yet  speaketh.'  " 


XLH. 
AS  A  PATRIOT. 

A  LARGE  part  of  this  section  is  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev. 
Francis  Vinton,  D.  D.,  to  whom  this  memoir  is  elsewhere  in- 
debted. 

Those  who  watched  the  actions  of  the  Bishop  in  his  early  life 
and  the  earlier  part  of  his  ministry,  and  listened  to  his  words. 


AS  A  PATRIOT.  309 

were  conscious  that  in  him  dwelt  real  patriotism,  ardent,  self- 
denying,  constant.  A  true  son  of  Rhode  Island,  he  sustained  in 
every  emergency  the  faithfulness  and  love  of  his  own  country,  so 
characteristic  of  the  natives  of  that  little  State. 

When  the  rebellion  of  1842  in  Rhode  Island  threatened  to 
destroy  the  authority  of  the  government,  he  penned  a  spirited 
and  much  admired  poem,  which  was  set  to  music,  and  sung 
throughout  the  State.  Two  of  its  verses  are  here  given.  The 
references  to  the  seal  of  Rhode  Island,  an  anchor  with  the 
motto  now  placed  upon  our  national  coin,  "In  God  we  trust," 
and  to  the  name  of  the  chief  city.  Providence,  and  its  founding 
by  Roger  Williams,  will  be  easily  recognized, 

"  O  gallant  band  of  spirits  true, 

Still  bear  that  stainless  shield; 
That  anchor  clung,  the  tempest  through, 

That  hope,  untaught  to  yield ! 
Fair  city,  all  thy  banners  wave, 

And  high  thy  trumpets  sound ! 
The  name  thy  righteous  father  gave 

Still  guards  thee  round  and  round ! 
The  land  that  first  threw  wide  her  gates, 

And  gave  the  exile  rest. 
First  arms  to  save  the  strength  of  States, 

And  guards  her  freedom  best. 
O  ever  thus,  dear  land  of  ours, 

Be  nurse  of  steadfast  men ; 
A  firmer  fort  than  hills  and  towers, 

On  rocky  pass  and  glen." 

From  this  spirit  he  never  turned  aside.  His  labor  and 
care  and  pen  were  freely  given  to  whatever  might  promote  the 
good  of  citizen  or  city,  of  child  or  adult,  or  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation or  of  public  morals,  to  the  last. 

He  was  accustomed  to  cast  his  vote  in  all  national  elections, 
and  sometimes  in  important  municipal  elections.  He  was  in- 
terested as  a  Christian  citizen,  that  the  officers  of  the  State,  in 
all  its  departments,  should  be  Christian  men.  His  letter  to  Mr. 
R.  H.  Gardiner,  of  Gardiner,  his  home  during  his  episcopate, 
urging  him  to  accept  the  honorable  office  of  Mayor,  at  the  in- 
auguration of  the  city  government,  testifies  to  his  judicious  con- 
cern in  public  affairs. 


3IO  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Feb.  4,  1850.  ''Will  you  permit  me  to  add  the  expression  of 
my  earnest  wishes  to  that  of  the  great  body  of  our  citizens,  and 
especially  of  the  better  and  more  thoughtful  amongst  them,  that 
you  may  still  be  induced  to  accept  their  call  to  the  office  of  their 
Mayor?  It  really  seems,  on  historical  grounds,  hardly  to  be  tole- 
rated, that  Gardiner  should  be  made  a  city  during  your  lifetime, 
and  you,  every  way  the  person  best  qualified  in  other  respects, 
not  to  be  recorded  as  the  first  holder  of  this  office.  The  desire 
of  the  citizens  to  give  it  to  you,  ought  at  least  to  appear  here- 
after ;  but  this,  although  a  consideration  of  real  importance,  is 
but  the  smallest. 

Probably  the  character  of  our  new  city  may  not  a  little  depend 
on  the  auspices  under  which  it  is  started.  It  may  take  a  kind  of 
type  for  many  years  from  the  spirit  and  the  persons  that  may  pre- 
side during  the  first  year.  It  is  of  great  importance  that  our  best  men 
should  be  willing  to  discharge  the  necessary  offices,  and  not  per- 
mit them  to  pass  into  the  hands  of  those  who  have  only  narrow 
views,  or  ^selfish  and  time-serving  purposes.  If  you  are  Mayor, 
there  is  no  citizen  who  will  not  be  willing  to  take  office  under 
you  ;  but  should  some  gentleman  be  elected  to  the  first  seat  in 
the  municipal  magistracy  who  very  possibly  may  be  if  you  de- 
cline, there  may  easily  be  a  general  shrinking  from  participation 
in  the  government.  A  mean  or  partisan  spirit  may  prevail  in  the 
city  councils ;  an  indifference  with  regard  to  the  best  interests 
of  the  community ;  and  many  years  may  pass  before  the  im- 
pression thus  fixed  upon  the  character  of  the  place  can  be ' 
removed. 

It  is  true  that  I  seem  to  be  rather  travelling  out  of  my  own 
sphere  in  speaking  of  such  subjects ;  but  my  earnest  desire  for 
the  promotion  of  all  the  highest  interests  of  the  community,  and 
the  fact  that  men  of  all  parties  are  united  in  the  wish,  may  ex- 
cuse the  interference." 

But  the  patriot  in  the  councils  of  the  Church  demands  chiefest 
memorial. 

In  the  crisis  of  the  late  Civil  War,  Bishop  Burgess  evinced  the 
characteristics  of  his  boyhood  while  he  illustrated  his  views  of 
the  relations  between  the  Church  and  the  State. 

The  State  was  assailed ;  the  Union  was  threatened  ;  the  life  of 
the  Nation  was  in  jeopardy.  Bishop  Burgess  instinctively  came 
to  the  rescue  of  his  country,  battling  against  rebellion,  not  with 
carnal  but  with  spiritual  weapons,  mighty  through  God,  to  the 
pulling  down  of  strongholds.  He  abhorred  that  theory  of  the 
Church  which  so  lifted  her  above  the  world  as  to  deprive  her 


AS  A  PATRIOT.  311 

of  sympathy  in  human,  secular  concerns.  She  was  not  "  of  this 
world"  by  the  token  that  she  "was  not  from  hence,"  in  her 
origin  and  her  authority.  But  as  a  divine  society,  and  "the 
kingdom  of  heaven"  in  earth,  she  touched  man  in  all  his  inter- 
ests, in  all  his  aims,  in  all  his  motives,  in  all  his  duties ;  direct- 
ing and  sanctifying  them,  lifting  them  out  of  earthliness  to  holi- 
ness. While,  therefore.  Bishop  Burgess  would  ever  render  unto 
God  the  things  that  are  God's,  so  likewise  he  would  render 
unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Csesar's. 

In  the  great  rebellion  he  discerned  the  powers  in  the  State, 
"  ordained  of  God,"  to  be  profanely  threatened.  He  had  ever 
evinced  earnest  fellowship  with  the  lawful  authority  of  his  native 
and  adopted  States,  and  now,  when  the  larger  interests  of  the 
people  and  of  generations  to  come,  were  jeoparded  by  the 
southern  rebellion,  he  could  not  but  be  roused  with  sacred  ardor, 
as  intense  as  his  calm  nature  could  express,  to  vindicate  the 
union  of  the  States  of  the  nation  and  to  inculcate  the  obligations 
of  all  Christians  to  defend  their  country,  by  prayer,  by  firm- 
ness, by  speech,  by  writings  uttered  in  love,  and,  if  need  be,  by 
the  stern  arbitrament  of  arms. 

Accordingly,  he  was  among  the  foremost  in  the  House  of 
Bishops,  in  the  General  Convention  of  1S62,  to  recommend  a 
Pastoral  Letter,  which  should  teach  the  people  and  the  Church 
their  imminent  obligations  to  their  country.  The  majority  of 
the  lower  House  were  in  sympathy  with  the  Bishops.  Yet,  there 
was  a  minority  of  both  Houses  who  were  outspoken  and  earnest 
in  deprecating  any  political  action  by  the  General  Convention. 

Bishop  Burgess  endured  his  share  of  obloquy,  erect  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  right.  And  during  that  fearful  war  he  maintained 
the  integrity  of  his  convictions  with  a  charming  serenity  and  with 
exemplary  courtesy. 

The  General  Convention  of  1865  met  in  Philadelphia  just 
after  the  war  was  ended.  Two  of  the  Southern  Bishops  appeared, 
with  a  few  deputations  in  the  lower  House,  who  were  received 
with  warm  welcome  by  the  Bishops,  Clergy,  and  Laity.  It  is 
worthy  of  remembrance  that,  in  the  General  Convention  of 
1862  in  New  York,  pews  were  assigned  to  the  absent  deputa- 
tions, and  their  dioceses  were  called  by  the  Secretary  in  the  faith 


312  AIEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

of  unity,  and  as  though  no  disruption  of  the  Church  had  really 
occurred. 

That  Convention,  through  the  Bishops,  had  also  appointed  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  and  in  the  form  set  forth,  God  was 
invoked,  to  the  effect  that  He  would  bring  back  our  misguided 
fellow-citizens  to  a  better  state  of  mind,  and  that  He  would  grant 
that  the  authority  of  the  general  government  should  be  extended 
over  all  the  land. 

At  the  Convention  in  1865,  after  the  cessation  of  war,  the 
names  of  the  Southern  dioceses  were  again  called,  to  which 
North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  and  others  present  answered  by 
their  deputies.  On  the  second  day  of  the  session  Bishop  Bur- 
gess presented  resolutions  appointing  a  day  of  thanksgiving  and 
praise  to  the  Lord,  who  had  answered  the  prayers  of  the  Church, 
had  restored  in  all  the  land  the  authority  of  the  National  Govern- 
ment, had  re-established  the  unity  of  the  Church  and  had  con- 
ferred other  mercies.  These  resolutions  were  later  referred  to 
the  five  senior  Bishops. 

At  the  eighth  day's  session  the  Presiding  Bishop  submitted  the 
report  from  the  Special  Committee  on  a  day  of  Thanksgiving, 
agreeing  with  these  resolutions,  which  is  quoted  at  length  upon 
pp.  255  and  256  of  this  memoir.     The  report  was  adopted. 

It  was  evidently  most  fitting  that  the  Church  in  council  should 
thank  God  for  the  happy  issue  which  the  Church  in  council  had 
prayed  Him  to  grant. 

Yet,  when  the  Bishops  of  North  Carolina  and  of  Arkansas 
begged  leave  to  be  absent  from  the  proposed  assemblage  for 
Thanksgiving,  on  the  ground  that  they  had  not  joined  in  the 
prayers  at  the  last  Convention,  and  that  their  presence  at  the 
thanksgiving  might  compromise  them  with  their  Southern  breth- 
ren, who  were  not  as  yet  fully  reconciled  to  the  supremacy  of 
the  authority  of  the  United  States ;  instead  of  excusing  them,  the 
House  of  Bishops  amended  the  report  of  their  Committee  by 
striking  out  the  political  topic  of  thanks  "for  extending  the 
authority  of  the  general  government  over  our  whole  land."  On 
this  condition  the  Southern  Bishops  joined  in  the  offices  of  thanks- 
giving. 

When  the  message  from  the  House  of  Bishops  reached  the 


JS  A  PATRIOT.  313 

lower  House,  a  spirited  and  persistent  effort  was  made  to  ask 
the  Bishops  to  include  the  political  topic  in  the  subjects  for 
Thanksgiving. 

The  Christian  consistency  of  thanking  the  Father  of  all  mer- 
cies for  granting  what  the  Church  had  prayed  for,  was  an  argu- 
ment at  once  pious  and  unanswerable.  But  the  fond  desire  of 
conciliating  the  Southern  brethren,  and  of  evincing  the  reunion 
of  alienated  dioceses,  was  paramount  to  the  motives  of  Christian 
consistency.  Those  deputies  who  were  on  principle  averse  from 
introducing  any  political  allusion  to  the  State,  either  in  prayers 
or  thanksgiving,  were  reinforced  by  those  who  would  remove 
every  impediment  to  a  cordial  and  immediate  acquiescence  of 
our  Southern  brethren,  so  that  a  large  majority  voted  the  pro- 
position down.  The  House  of  Bishops  were  accordingly  not 
requested  by  the  lower  House  to  reinstate  the  political  topic  in 
their  proposed  thanksgiving.  Bishop  Burgess  was  prominent  in 
protesting  against  the  mutilation  of  the  resolution  reported  by 
the  Committee  of  the  House  of  Bishops,  urging,  with  his  great 
power,  the  arguments  of  duty  to  God,  and  of  justice  to  the  nation, 
while  he  was  second  to  no  one  of  his  peers  in  mercy  and  loving 
kindness  towards  his  brethren  and  fellow-citizens  of  the  South. 

It  is  difficult  to  repossess  the  warmth  of  past  emotions,  or  to 
realize  the  strength  of  passion  excited  in  a  debate,  after  the  con- 
troversy is  extinguished.  We  saunter  amidst  the  embers  of  a 
conflagration  and  turn  over  its  ashes,  without  a  due  conception 
of  the  flames  that  produced  them. 

The  opposition  to  the  protest  of  Bishop  Burgess  and  his  col- 
leagues in  the  House  of  Bishops  was  positive  and  pertinacious. 
Time  and  God's  grace  and  the  happy  continuance  of  union  in 
the  Church  and  the  country,  have  allayed  the  passions  and 
sweetened  the  acrimony  of  the  contestants. 

Bishop  Burgess  parted  with  his  brethren,  never  again  to  meet 
them  in  council,  with  sweet  benignity  and  conscious  rectitude. 
He  bore  all  reproaches  meekly,  while  he  received  applause  with 
characteristic  modesty.  His  action  in  the  House  of  Bishops  was 
freely  discussed,  and  by  some  misrepresented.  But  he  was  ever 
ready  to  explain  and  to  justify  the  reasons  of  his  course  to  all 
who  had  a  right  to  inquire  of  him. 


314  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Some  extracts  from  the  correspondence  of  Bishop  Burgess, 
during  the  terrible  strife  of  brothers  in  our  land,  well  and  truly 
illustrate  the  subject  of  this  Section. 

"Feb.  28,  1861.  The  destinies  of  our  country  are  in  higher 
hands ;  and  it  seems  to  me  that,  thus  far,  God  has  wonderfully 
prevented  the  consequences  which  might  have  been  expected,  as 
both  natural  and  just.  I  cannot  feel  that  the  people  of  the  North 
have  much  cause  to  accuse  themselves,  and  a  good  conscience 
makes  men  strong  in  evil  times.  We  have  sinned  much,  but  not, 
I  do  believe,  in  our  reluctance  to  sustain  or  extend  the  dominion 
of  the  system  of  slavery.  At  present,  the  prospect  seems  some- 
what more  hopeful ;  and  I  do  not  give  up  the  idea  of  a  full 
reunion  within  a  year  or  more.  The  Church  must  doubtless  fol- 
low the  States." 

The  same  patriotic  feeling  pervades  every  line  of  the  follow- 
ing letter.  Informed  of  the  fall  in  battle  of  a  gallant  young  man. 
Major  of  one  of  the  first  enrolled  regiments  from  Maine,  he 
wrote : — 

Gardiner,  June  5,  1S62. 
"  My  Dear  Mrs.  S.  : 

Rev.  Mr.  Durell  has  informed  me  that  he  discharged  the  sor- 
rowful duty  of  bringing  to  you  the  tidings  which  at  this  time  you 
most  dreaded  to  receive.  They  could  not  be  quite  sudden  to 
you,  since  you  knew  that  there  had  been  a  battle  with  great  loss 
of  life,  and  knew  the  gallant  determination  of  your  son  to  do  his 
duty  to  the  utmost.  But  he  had  been  saved  through  great  perils 
before ;  and  you  had  no  more  cause  for  special  apprehensions 
than  hundreds  besides;  and  I  suppose  that  such  a  blow  cannot  be 
materially  lightened  by  the  circumstances  of  the  intelligence. 

I  almost  tremble  to  think  of  your  loss,  too,  when  I  remember 
how  recently  you  have  spoken  to  me  with  such  affectionate  pride 
and  maternal  confidence,  of  his  career,  of  his  letters,  of  his  prin- 
ciples, and  of  his  love.  All  that  made  him  so  dear  to  your  heart 
only  adds  to  the  severity  of  your  bereavement ;  and  yet  it  brings 
also  comfort  such  as  nothing  else  could  give.  You  have  lost  one 
of  whom  you  will  never  think  with  pain  except  because  he  is 
gone  so  early.  No  shame  or  stain  rested  upon  him ;  he  had 
done  great  honor  to  his  family,  his  education,  and  his  State  and 
Country ;  and  he  died  in  the  best  cause  in  which  a  patriotic  man 
could  expose  himself  to  the  perils  of  war.  All  the  honor  which 
is  ever  paid  to  the  departed  will  attend  his  memory ;  and  his 
name  will  be  written  on  one  of  the  brightest  though  saddest  pages 
in  the  history  of  his  native  land. 


AS  A  PATRIOT.  315 

He  was  hardly  known  to  me  except  through  what  I  have  heard 
from  your  lips,  and  through  the  general  testimony  to  his  brave 
and  soldierly  conduct.  But  your  own  statements  had  given  me 
such  an  impression  of  his  worth  that  I  can  deeply  feel  with  you 
and  with  his  brothers.  I  was  deeply  struck  with  your  account 
of  his  calmness,  resolution,  and  preparation  on  the  eve  of  danger 
and  of  battle ;  and  it  gratified  me  to  hear  of  his  earnest  attach- 
ment to  the  Church  and  his  pleasure  in  its  worship.  Many  a 
thought  of  early  death  had  been  in  his  mind  within  these  few 
months  of  peril.  You  mentioned  that  he  was  accustomed  to 
arrange  all  things  before  a  battle,  so  that  all  might  be  order  if 
he  should  fall.  I  trust  that,  in  the  depths  of  his  heart,  he  com- 
mitted himself  to  the  mercies  of  God  through  his  Redeemer.  It 
must  have  been  so,  it  would  seem,  with  one  so  thoughtful  and  so 
earnest  in  his  earnest  work. 

'  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his 
life  for  his  friends.'  It  is  in  behalf  of  us  all  that  these  brave 
young  men  have  been  willing  to  expose  and,  if  it  pleased  God, 
to  lay  down  their  lives.  They  stood  between  us  and  the  terrible 
calamities  which  have  overhung  our  country  and  threatened  its 
destruction.  They  have  died,  that  all  which  we  enjoy  might  be 
preserved  for  those  who  shall  come  after  us.  '  Greater  love  hath 
no  man  than  this.'  I  cannot  believe  that  any  one  who  dies  thus 
at  the  post  of  duty,  for  the  sake  of  his  brethren,  would  have  been 
a  gainer  by  living  longer.  The  hairs  of  their  head  were  all 
numbered  by  Him  who  best  knows  the  time  when  each  may 
most  fitly  be  removed,  and  most  kindly. 

To  Him  and  His  grace,  my  dear  Mrs.  S.,  I  commend  you  and 
your  sorrows.  It  is  little  which  we  can  do  for  one  another  under 
afflictions  like  this  ;  but  there  is  something  in  the  true  expression 
of  sympathy,  in  the  assurance  of  respectful  remembrance  of  the 
departed,  and  in  any  words  which  point  us  to  the  '  God  of  all  com- 
fort.' All  who  have  known  your  son  and  his  home,  and  all  who 
feel  the  debt  of  our  country  to  its  noble  defenders,  give  you  their 
sympathy,  and  hold  his  memory  in  their  affectionate  and  grate- 
ful reverence.  May  God  afford  you  His  own  still  better  conso- 
lations, and  open  to  you  the  clear  prospect  of  those  scenes  of  a 
brighter,  better  country,  where  'there  shall  be  no  more  death!' 

I  am,  my  dear  madam, 

Very  sincerely  yours." 

The  next  letter  of  the  Bishop  seems  almost  to  require  that  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Bacon  to  the  Editor  for  its  full  explanation.  It  is, 
therefore,  inserted. 


3l6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

New  Orleans,  December  31,  1866. 
"Rev.  a.  Burgess,  D.  D. 

Reverend  and  Dear  Sir  :  I  have  seen  lately  a  request  pub- 
lished for  the  sending  to  you  of  any  letters  of  Bishop  Burgess  of 
general  interest,  to  be  used  in  preparing  a  biography  of  him. 
Though  my  acquaintance  was  but  slight  I  had  long  regarded  him 
with  great  admiration  and  reverence  as  the  first  man,  take  him  all 
in  all,  in  our  American  Church.  It  has  occurred  to  me  that  the 
inclosed  letter,  which  I  treasure  very  carefully  and  beg  may  in 
no  case  fail  of  being  returned  to  me,  might  be  of  value  as  show- 
ing his  'meekness  of  wisdom,'  in  treating  of  the  very  delicate 
questions  which  arose  in  the  Church  during  the  late  terrible 
troubles.  I  can  see  now  that  he  was  wiser  than  I,  about  what  I 
had  the  opportunity  to  know  much  better.  Perhaps  one  in  the 
midst  of  this  terrible  whirl  of  passion  and  conflict  might  plead 
his  very  proximity  to  its  facts,  as  an  excuse  for  his  misapprehend- 
ing of  them. 

Then  again,  when  it  so  happened  by  God's  Providence  that  I 
stood  really  alone  in  this  Diocese,  in  adhering  without  a  moment's 
waver  to  the  National  Church,  such  words  of  sympathy  and  good 
cheer  as  were  in  that  letter,  were  a  great  comfort  in  the  midst  of 
the  painful  estrangement  of  beloved  brethren,  and  the  crushing 
isolation  of  the  soul.     It  was  balm  upon  a  bleeding  heart. 

Thanks  be  to  the  Lord  the  Saviour  !  unspeakable  thanks  that 
things  have  been  already  put  in  such  a  beautiful  train  of  recon- 
ciliation and  restored  love  among  brethren  in  the  Church,  what- 
ever disorders  may  prevail  in  the  State.  Our  new  Bishop  is  full 
of  the  spirit  of  '  truth,  unity,  and  concord.'  I  am  sure  you  will 
be  glad  to  know  this  from  the  Southwest  in  your  Northeastern 
corner  of  the  Church;  though  I  intended  only  to  introduce  the 
inclosed  letter,  and  beg  that  if  you  don't  think  it  of  use  for  your 
purpose  you  will  immediately  inclose  it ;  and  if  you  think  other- 
wise, return  it  as  soon  as  possible  for  fear  of  loss. 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

Thomas  S.  Bacon." 

Gardiner,  February  23,  1S63. 
"Rev.  Thomas  S.  Bacon: 

Reverend  and  Dear  Sir  :  I  have  received  and  read  with 
much  interest  your  circular  and  the  annexed  letter,  in  which  you 
ask  not  only  prayers  and  sympathy,  but  emphatically  counsel. 
Conscious  as  I  am  of  the  importance  which,  in  such  circum- 
stances, may  be  attached  to  the  expression  of  opinion,  I  cannot 
hesitate  to  communicate  my  own  in  reply  to  such  a  request,  small 
as  may  be  the  intrinsic  value  of  any  sentiments  of  mine. 


AS  A  PATRIOT.  317 

It  appears  to  me  that  your  position  is  entirely  riglit,  with  a 
single  exception.  That  exception  is  where  you  call  upon  mem- 
bers of  other  congregations  of  the  Church,  who  are  not  satisfied 
with  the  changes  made  in  the  Liturgy,  to  join  you.  I  doubt 
whether  they  form  an  adequate  cause  for  separation  from  one's 
Parish  and  Minister.  But,  otherwise,  I  think  that  your  ground 
is  that  which  should  be  occupied  by  every  clergyman  in  New 
Orleans. 

It  is  not  for  the  Church  to  decide  who  shall  be  the  rulers  of 
the  land.  The  Church  prays  for  them  when  their  authority  is 
settled,  and  continues  to  pray  for  them  till  it  is  quite  overthrown. 
To  cease  praying  for  them  before  this,  is  to  take  part  in  the 
revolt  against  their  authority,  unless  you  act  under  force. 

There  is  no  question  that  New  Orleans  is  now  a  city  in  the 
possession  of  the  Federal  Government.  If  you  dare  to  take,  as  a 
citizen,  the  position  of  allegiance  to  that  government,  certainly 
no  ecclesiastical  relation  to  the  Diocese  of  Louisiana  can  inter- 
fere with  your  full  use  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  as  you 
promised  at  your  ordination.  Let  others  find  excuses  for  their 
conduct ;  yours  demands  none. 

I  can  only  '  counsel'  you,  my  dear  brother,  to  walk  with  great 
prudence,  circumspection,  and  firmness,  and  wait  till  the  good 
hand  of  God  shall  reveal  the  issue.  Should  it  be  as  I  trust  and 
believe  it  will,  that  Louisiana  and  the  Mississippi  shall  still  be 
strongholds  of  the  power  of  the  United  States  for  coming  ages, 
you  will  be  gratefully  remembered  hereafter  for  this  good  service 
to  the  sacred  cause  of  our  country,  and  for  your  manly  resist- 
ance to  the  wicked  effort  to  throw  the  influence  and  voice  of  the 
Church  into  the  scale  of  the  rebellion.  May  God  strengthen 
you  and  uphold  you  till  the  day  of  concord  and  restoration  ! 

I  am,  very  sincerely, 

Your  brother  in  Christ." 

But  this  kind  of  correspondence  was  not  confined  to  those  who 
could  claim  even  "a  slight  acquaintance  with  the  Bishop." 

Soon  after  his  return  from  the  Convention  of  1865,  he  received 
a  letter  from  a  clergyman  in  Virginia,  asking  an  explanation  of 
the  course  pursued  by  the  minority.  If  it  were  thought  right  to 
insert  his  whole  answer,  it  would  add  to  the  general  interest,  but 
respect  for  the  wish  expressed  by  the  Bishop  in  the  concluding 
paragraph,  has  led  to  large  omissions. 

Gardiner,  December  7,  1865. 
"Reverend  and  Dear  Sir:  I  thank  you  for  the  very  honor- 
able confidence  in  me  which  your  inquiry  supposes,  and  which 


3 1 8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  B  UR  GESS. 

you  have  so  kindly  avowed.  My  appreciation  of  it  will  be  best 
shown  by  a  thoughtful  and  candid  reply,  such  as  may  really  help 
to  guide  your  judgment  in  circumstances  so  peculiar. 

Do  not,  in  the  first  place,  exaggerate  the  bearing  of  the  facts 
themselves.  The  majority  in  the  questions  with  which  we  are 
concerned  was  not  all  of  one  ecclesiastical  party,  and  the  minor- 
ity of  the  other." 

Here  follow  the  names  of  many,  both  Bishops  and  Presby- 
ters, who  were  with  the  majoiity,  though  they  are  '  men  never 
reckoned  as  High  Churchmen,'  and  of  others,  decidedly  not 
Low  Churchmen,  who  voted  with  the  minority. 

"  This  is  sufficient  to  show  that  it  was  no  party  question. 

Then,  as  a  mere  fact,  let  me  beg  you  to  ask  once  more,  wherein 
the  minority  violated  that  charity  which  '  rejoiceth  in  the  truth?' 
Did  we  purpose  any  attack  upon  the  Southern  members  of  our 
Church,  any  impediment  to  union  with  them  in  perfect  harmony, 
any  measures  of  exclusion,  any  conditions,  humiliating  or  other- 
wise ?  Did  we  say  anything  or  do  anything  uncourteous  or  un- 
kind? The  letter  of  Bishops  Atkinson  and  Lay  exonerates  us. 
I  suppose  that  you  and  your  brethren  have  far  too  much  manli- 
ness to  wish  to  be  soothed  and  caressed,  or  to  think  or  speak 
much  of  'feelings,'  whether  flattered  or  wounded,  at  a  time  of 
such  great  issues.  Perhaps  you  will  even  agree  with  me  that, 
after  the  tremendous  events  of  the  last  four  years,  a  certain  sober 
dignity  might  better  become  our  first  meeting,  than  the  light  and 
speedy  forgetfulness  of  friends  reunited  after  some  slight  mis- 
understanding. 

It  comes  to  this :  that  the  majority  manifested,  as  you  deem, 
a  kinder  and  more  charitable  spirit  towards  the  Churchmen  of 
the  South,  inasmuch  as  they  were  willing,  for  their  sake,  to  avoid 
every  expression  in  which  any  citizen  of  the  South  could  not 
concur.  I  am  not  disposed  to  deny  that  the  Evangelical  Church- 
men of  the  North,  and  many  besides  them,  do  believe  it  to  be 
the  Christian  duty  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the 
United  States  to  give  a  loyal  and  religious  support  to  the  consti- 
tution and  government  of  the  United  States  ;  and  that,  one  and 
all,  they  hold  personal  freedom  to  be  a  blessing  and  a  right, 
which  they  must  rejoice  to  see  enjoyed  by  all  men.  And  they 
had  some  ground  to  suppose  that  their  Southern  brethren,  as 
citizens  of  the  United  States,  would,  though  possibly  with  some 
sacrifices  of  personal  sentiment,  acquiesce  in  the  general  acknow- 
ledgment of  these  principles,  under  which  they  and  their  pos- 
terity are  to  live.  *  ******* 

No   one    in   the    majority   supposes    any   such    motive   as   a 


AS  A  rATRIOT.  319 

special  affection  for  our  Southern  brethren,  or  a  sentiment  of 
magnanimity.  It  is  not  the  occasion  for  any  such  holiday  dis- 
plays; and  good  men,  meaning  to  do  justice,  to  recognize  rights, 
to  show  all  tenderness  and  sympathy,  yet  feel  that  the  close  of 
such  a  struggle  is  not  a  time  for  compliments  and  chivalrous 
courtesies.  We  have  maintained  the  integrity  of  our  country 
through  these  years  of  bitter  war,  at  the  cost  of  innumerable 
deaths ;  of  sufferings,  and  bereavements  never  to  be  told  ;  of  a 
burden  of  national  debt  which  is  felt  every  hour  in  its  pressure 
on  all ;  of  the  ferocious  assassination  of  our  good  President ;  of 
the  vast  starvation  of  prisoners  ;  and  not  least,  of  the  woes  which 
our  armies  inflicted,  and  which  you  still  endure.  All  this  was 
caused  by  the  determination  to  sustain,  extend,  and  perpetuate 
what  your  Presiding  Bishop  calls  the  '  sacred  trust  of  slavery;' 
and  his  public  appeal  to  the  judgment  seat  against  the  Northern 
Bishops  and  Clergy  as  guilty  of  all,  and  especially  of  the  death 
of  that  Bishop  who  took  the  sword,  remains  unrevoked.  Now 
if  any  Southern  Churchman  hated  the  war,  and  gladly  sees 
slavery  cease,  he  has  a  large  place  in  the  hearts  of  all  of  us,  High 
or  Low ;  we  all  love  him  warmly.  Beyond  this,  we  all  desire 
the  harmonious  operation  of  our  Church  organization  through- 
out the  land.  We  know,  in  the  Church,  no  'South.'  Virginia 
is  as  Wisconsin.  The  Bishop  and  deputies  of  each  Southern 
Diocese  had  their  rightful  places,  to  which  they  would  have  been 
heartily  welcome.  ******** 

We  were  all  ready  to  act  with  all  paternal  kindness ;  we  said 
no  word,  and  should  have  said  none,  that  would  give  unneces- 
sary pain.  The  majority,  for  the  sake  of  the  object  in  view,  were 
willing  even  to  humiliate  themselves,  to  shrink  from  obvious 
duties,  and  almost  to  accept  conditions  from  those  who  should 
resume  their  places.  But  neither  they  nor  we  could  recognize 
any  claim  on  the  part  of  Southern  Churchmen,  who  had  delibe- 
rately united  in  the  rebellion,  to  such  eager  and  joyous  testimo- 
nies of  affection  on  our  part,  as  might  have  seemed  to  imply  that 
it  was  all  the  same,  whatever  course  any  one  might  have  taken, 
and  that  there  was  no  responsibility,  anywhere,  for  the  past.  If 
their  conscience  acquit  them,  well ;  but  it  is  not  for  us  to  hasten 
to  assure  them  that  there  has  been  no  sin. 

The  Diocese  of  Virginia  has  but  one  course  of  duty.  It  has 
always  been  one  of  the  Dioceses  of  the  Church  in  the  United 
States.  Wliile  the  Confederacy  was  a  de  facto  government  the 
Diocese  submitted,  though  too  willingly,  to  a  necessity.  As  soon 
as  the  Confederacy  fell  to  the  ground,  the  '  Southern  Church' 
ceased  with  it  to  exist  in  that  character.  Each  Diocese  was 
where  it  was  before.  There  is  no  need  of  any  return;  you  are  there 
already,  by  right  and  duty,  and  have  only  quietly  to  conform  to  the 


320  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

doctrine,  discipline,  and  worship,  to  which  each  clergyman  pro- 
mised such  conformity  at  first.  To  be  in  a  state  of  separation, 
since  the  fall  of  the  Confederacy,  is  strictly  schismatical.  Cir- 
cumstances may  excuse  some  little  delay;  but  Virginia,  balanc- 
ing the  question  of  return,  is  very  like  Virginia  standing  between 
the  United  States  and  the  Cotton  States,  more  than  four  years 
ago,  and  claiming  to  be  umpire.  The  vote  which  the  Diocese 
may  pass  may  much  affect  its  present  peace  and  honor;  but  the 
ultimate  result  will  be  the  same.  In  the  mean  time,  what  a  piti- 
able spectacle  would  that  Diocese  present,  should  it  try  to  go  on 
as  an  Episcopalian  sect  or  schism,  founded  on  the  violation  of 
the  vows  of  its  Bishops  and  Clergy,  and  striving  to  keep  up  the 
attitude  of  the  great  treason  in  the  Church,  which,  in  the  State, 
no  treason  could  maintain  !  How  disastrous  to  the  Evangelical 
cause,  should  it  be  supposed  to  be  identified  with  any  such  under- 
taking ! 

As  to  the  rest,  my  dear  sir,  leave  it  to  time,  to  the  government 
of  God's  providence,  and  to  the  power  of  His  grace.  He  will 
bring  us  together,  as  closely  as  He  sees  to  be  good,  if  we  look 
to  Him  with  a  single  heart,  and  we  can  trust  Him  with  His  truth 
and  with  His  cause. 

I  am  not  authorized  to  speak  on  the  part  of  any  section  of  the 
Church  ;  and  have  endeavored,  while  acting  conscientiously  and 
with  honest  adherence  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  not  so  to  be 
bound  to  any  party  that  any  independent  action  could  bring  upon 
me  the  reproach  of  abandoning  my  principles.  You  will  receive 
my  remarks  as  those  of  one  who  cordially  wishes,  with  you,  that 
no  unfriendliness  of  feeling  may  separate  those  in  heart  who  love 
one  Lord,  and  see  His  truth  alike. 

As  it  is  possible,  also,  that  others  with  whom  I  generally  con- 
cur, might  not  be  with  me  in  all  that  I  have  said,  and  as  my 
office  might  possibly  be  supposed  to  add  some  weight  to  my 
words,  if  they  were  repeated  in  your  region,  I  must  desire  that 
you  will  not  make  use  of  this  communication,  except  for  your 
own  satisfaction.         I  am,  Reverend  and  Dear  Sir, 

Very  sincerely. 

Your  brother  in  Christ." 


LIST  OF  PUBLISHED  BOOKS  OR  PAMPHLETS.        321 

XLIII. 
LIST  OF  PUBLISHED  BOOKS  OR  PAMPHLETS. 

The  preparation  of  the  following  list  is  by  the  kindness  of  the 
Rev.  William  H.  Brooks,  D.  D.,  once  a  Presbyter  of  Maine.  No 
list  has  been  kept  of  many  valuable  contributions  to  magazines 
and  periodicals. 

"  Because  the  Preacher  was  wise  he  *  *  taught  the  people 
knowledge :  *  *  and  that  which  was  written,  was  upright, 
even  words  of  truth."     Ecclesiastes  12:   9,  10. 

1.  1834.  The  Martyrdom  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  A  Poem 
delivered  before  the  Rhode  Island  Alpha  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
Society,  at  their  anniversary,  September  3,  1834.     pp.  48. 

2.  1840.     A  Sermon  on  the  Loss  of  the  Steamer  Lexington. 

3.  1840.  The  Book  of  Psalms,  translated  into  English  verse, 
with  notes,     pp.  276. 

4.  1 84 1.  St.  Paul  rejoicing  that  Christ  was  preached,  even 
amidst  errors.  A  Sermon  preached  at  Christ  Church,  Hartford, 
from  Phil.  18:  i,  on  the  evening  of  the  fourth  Sunday  after 
Epiphany,  January  31,  1841.     Printed  by  request,     pp.  13. 

5  and  6.   1843.     Two  Funeral  Sermons. 

7.  1844.  The  Strife  of  Brothers.     A  Poem.     Anon.     pp.  48. 

8.  1845.  The  Missionary  Heart.  A  Sermon  from  Romans 
9  :  3,  preached  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  General  Board  of 
Missions,  in  St.  Bartholomew's  Church,  New  York,  on  Wednes- 
day evening,  June  18,  1845. 

9.  1847.  Pages  from  the  Ecclesiastical  Histrory  of  New  Eng- 
land, during  the  century  between  1740  and  1840.  First  pub- 
lished anonymously  in  the  "Episcopal  Observer."     pp.  126. 

10.  1848.     The  Stranger  in  the  Church.     A  Tract,     pp.  23. 

11.  1850.  The  Passage  into  the  Ministry.  An  Address  de- 
livered in  St.  Peter's  Church,  New  York,  to  the  graduating  class 
of  the  General  Theological  Seminary,  at  the  commencement, 
June  27,  1850.     Printed  at  the  request  of  the  Trustees,     pp.  18. 

21 


32  2  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

12.  1850.  Great  Principles.  A  Charge  (the  first),  delivered 
to  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine,  at  the  Annual  Conven- 
tion, held  in  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Portland,  July  10,  1850. 
Published  by  vote  of  the  Convention,     pp.  17. 

13.  1850.     The   Last   Enemy,   Conquering  and  Conquered. 

PP-  Zl'^- 

14.  1851.  The  Lowliness  of  the  Episcopate.  A  Sermon  (vS/. 
Luke  22 :  26-27)  preached  in  St.  John's  Church,  Hartford,  Octo- 
ber 29,  1 851,  at  the  Consecration  of  the  Rev.  John  Williams, 
D.  D.,  as  Assistant  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut.  Pub- 
lished by  request,     pp.  21. 

15.  1853.  The  Duty  of  Christian  Ministers  towards  young 
men  and  men  of  mature  years.  A  Charge  (the  second)  delivered 
to  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine,  at  the  Annual  Conven- 
tion, held  in  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Portland,  on  Wednesday, 
the  13th  of  July,  1853.  Published  by  vote  of  the  Convention, 
pp.  20. 

16.  1853.     Preface  to  the  Frontier  Missionary,     pp.  4. 

17.  1853.  Sermon  preached  at  the  Consecration  of  the  Rev. 
William  Ingraham  Kip,  D.  D.,  Missionary  Bishop  of  California, 
October  28,  1853. 

18.  1854.  The  Modern  Necromancy  no  argument  against  the 
Gospel.  A  Lecture  (ySi.  Luke  11:  19)  in  the  course  of  Phila- 
delphia Lectures  on  the  Evidences  of  Christianity,  185 3-1 85  4. 
pp.  17. 

19.  1854.     Adult  Baptism.     A  Tract,     pp.  24. 

20.  1854.  Going  up  into  the  Temple  to  pray,  pp.12.  This 
Tract  contains  the  substance  of  a  sermon  preached  at  the  Conse- 
cration of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Rockland,  Maine,  on  the  8th  of 
June,  1854.  The  Maine  Board  of  Missions  deemed  its  circula- 
tion, in  the  form  of  a  tract,  sufficiently  desirable  to  justify  a 
request  on  their  part,  for  its  publication  in  that  manner. 

21.  1854.  A  Discourse  delivered  before  the  Maine  Histori- 
cal Society,  at  Brunswick,  August  2,  1854.  4th  vol.  of  Maine 
Historical  Collections. 

22.  1854.     Sermons  on  the  Christian  Life.     pp.  316. 

23.  1856.  .  Principles  on  which  the  Church   has  erected  its 


LIST  OF  PUBLISHED  BOOKS  OR  PAMPHLETS.        323 

system.  The  third  Charge  to  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine, 
delivered  at  the  thirty-seventh  Annual  Convention,  in  St.  Mark's 
Church,  Augusta,  on  Wednesday,  the  9th  of  July,  1856.  Pub- 
lished by  vote  of  the  Convention,     pp.  21. 

24.  1857.     Catechism  on  the  Church  Catechism,     pp.267. 

25.  1859.  The  Personality,  Kingdom,  and  Power  of  Satan. 
A  Charge  (the  fourth)  delivered  to  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of 
Maine,  in  Grace  Church,  Bath,  at  the  Annual  Convention,  July 
13,  1859.     Published  by  vote  of  the  Convention,     pp.  23. 

26.  The  Love  of  Zion.  A  Sermon  (T'j-rt/w  122  :  9)  preached 
in  St.  James'  Church,  Richmond,  on  Thursday,  October  13, 
1859,  at  the  Consecration  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Benjamin  Whipple, 
D.  D.,  as  Bishop  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  Dio- 
cese of  Minnesota.  Published  by  request  of  the  Deputation  from 
Minnesota,     pp.  15. 

27.  i860.  To  represent  and  fulfil  the  Divine  promises,  the 
design  of  the  Church's  existence.  A  Sermon  {Acts  2 :  39) 
preached  in  Trinity  Church,  Boston,  on  Wednesday,  September 
12,  i860,  at  the  admission  of  the  Rev.  Frederick  D.  Huntington, 
D.  D.,  to  the  Holy  Order  of  Deacons.  Published  by  request  of 
the  Clergy  present,     pp.  20. 

28.  i860.  The  character  which  is  the  just  end  of  a  true  edu- 
cation. An  Address  delivered  at  the  Anniversary  of  Miss  Dra- 
per's Seminary,  in  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  Connecticut,  June 
21,  i860.     Published  by  request.     Two  editions,     pp.  22. 

29.  i860.  The  Secondary  Benefits  of  the  Prayer  Book.  A 
Sermon  {Deut.  31:  19)  preached  at  the  Anniversary  of  the 
Bishop  White  Prayer  Book  Society,  on  Sunday,  October  14, 
i860,  in  St.  Luke's  Church,  Philadelphia,     pp.  18. 

30.  1861.     The  Hours.     A  Poem.     pp.  24. 

31.  1862.  The  Value  and  Efficiency  of  the  Ministry.  A 
Charge  (the  fifth)  delivered  to  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of 
Maine,  in  Christ  Church,  Gardiner,  at  the  Annual  Convention, 
July,  9,  1862.     Published  by  vote  of  the  Convention,     pp.  22. 

32.  1862.  Who  was  Richard  Seymour?  and  why  should  he 
be  remembered  with  honor?  Address  at  the  Popham  Celebra- 
tion, August  29,  1862.     pp.  4. 


324  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

33.  1862.  The  Nobleness  of  Theological  Studies.  An  In- 
augural Discourse  delivered  at  the  opening  of  the  Divinity  School 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  at  Philadelphia,  in  St.  Luke's 
Church,  on  Monday,  September  29,  1862.     pp.  22. 

34.  1862.  Christian  Books.  A  Sermon  {^Isaiah  28:  10) 
preached  in  Trinity  Chapel,  New  York,  before  the  General  Pro- 
testant Episcopal  Sunday  School  Union  and  Church  Book  So- 
ciety,    pp.  23. 

35.  1864.  Sermon  on  the  Death  of  the  Hon.  Robert  H. 
Gardiner. 

36.  1864.     The  American  Metrical  Psalter,     pp.  284. 

37.  1865.  An  Address  delivered  in  Christ  Church,  Hartford, 
at  the  Funeral  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Thomas  Church  Brownell,  D.  D., 
LL.  D.,  third  Bishop  of  Connecticut,  January  17,  1865.  Pub- 
lished by  request  of  the  Bishops  and  Clergy  present,     pp.  16. 

38.  1866.  Last  Journal,  from  December  27,  1865,  to  April 
20,  1866,  with  an  Introduction  by  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of 
Delaware  (A.  Lee),     pp.  "^z- 

39.  1867.     A  Letter  to  a  Preacher  of  Universalism.     pp.  54. 

40.  1868.  Poems,  with  an  Introduction  by  the  Bishop  (A. 
C.  Coxe)  of  Western  New  York.     pp.  276. 

"  This  man  was  instructed  in  the  way  of  the  Lord :  and  being 
fervent  in  the  spirit,  he  spake  and  taught  diligently  the  things  of 
the  Lord."     Acts  18:   25. 


XLIV. 

STUDENT  AND  HONORARY  DEGREES. 

The  degrees  of  Bachelor  and  Master  of  Arts  were  taken  by 
Mr.  Burgess  in  course  in  1826  and  1829.  In  1845,  ^^  degree 
of  Master  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Trinity  College.  In  1847, 
in  August,  from  Union  College,  and  in  September,  from  Brown 
University,  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  This 
degree  was  subsequently  conferred  by  the  Bishop's  College,  See 
of  Quebec. 


THE  PRESENTMENT  OF  BISHOP  DOANE.  325 

XLV. 
THE  PRESENTMENT  OF  BISHOP  DOANE,  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

A  MEMOIR  of  Bishop  Burgess  cannot  rightly  omit  a  statement, 
with  some  detail,  of  his  share  in  the  proceedings  indicated  by 
the  subject  of  this  section.  His  Episcopate  was  spent  in  efforts 
to  strengthen  the  outposts  of  the  Church,  and  to  increase  their 
numbers.  Except  at  the  sessions  of  the  Board  of  Missions,  and 
of  the  authorized  societies  of  the  Church,  and  in  the  House  of 
Bishops,  he  was  seldom  met,  in  his  Episcopal  character,  outside 
of  his  own  Diocese.  The  marked  exception  was  when  he  took  up 
the  painful  duty  laid  before  him  of  investigating  reports  against 
a  brother  Bishop,  and  of  presentment  under  the  Canon.  This 
was  the  only  portion  of  his  official  career  which  exposed  him 
to  severity  of  criticism.  Fifteen  years  have  passed  since  the 
events,  and  his  blameless  life  has  proved  him  incapable  of  the 
unworthy  motives  imputed  to  him.  Yet  the  voice  of  censure  and 
opprobrium  has  been  publicly  renewed  within  a  few  years.  It 
is  proposed,  with  as  little  revival,  as  possible,  of  anything  thac 
will  give  offence,  to  show  that  this  exception  to  the  otherwise 
undisturbed  flow  of  his  Episcopate,  was  no  exception  to  its  emi- 
nently upright  and  judicious  character. 

This  section  has  been  carefully  prepared  and  kindly  furnished 
by  the  Rev.  John  Cotton  Smith,  D.D.,  Rector  of  the  Church  of 
the  Ascension,  New  York,  who  was  ordained  Presbyter  by  Bishop 
Burgess,  and  for  some  years  was  Rector  of  one  of  the  larger 
parishes  in  Maine. 

"  Were  the  subject  proposed  for  consideration  in  this  section, 
entirely  disconnected  from  bitter  controversies,  were  there  no 
interests  of  reputation  and  character  involved,  and  were  there 
no  feelings,  which  anything  but  the  most  delicate  and  reserved 
treatment  of  it  would  deeply  wound,  it  would  be  easy  to  show 
how  strikingly  the  course  of  Bishop  Burgess,  in  the  whole  con- 
duct of  this  matter,  illustrated  the  firmness,  the  wisdom,  and  the 
gentleness  by  which  he  was  distinguished.  Regard  for  personal 
feeling  would  not  excuse  its  entire  omission.     To  treat  it  in  such 


326  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

a  .way  as  to  do  full  justice  to  Bishop  Burgess,  would  be  impossi- 
ble, without  reviving  disputes  that  are  now  at  an  end,  and  re- 
opening a  question  which,  so  far  as  most  of  the  principal  actors 
are  concerned,  has  already  had  its  solemn  settlement  in  another 
world.  On  the  other  hand,  to  treat  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  war- 
rant the  impression  that  Bishop  Burgess  was  hasty  in  judgment, 
inconsiderate  in  action ;  mistaken  in  principle,  or  unkind  in 
temper,  would  be  unfaithful  to  him,  and  exhibit  untruly  some  of 
the  most  important  features  of  his  character.  The  present  writer, 
sensible  of  these  various  and  almost  contradictory  obligations, 
would  endeavor  so  to  treat  the  subject  as  to  be  both  charitable 
and  just.  Should  the  result  be  wanting  in  any  degree,  in  his- 
toric fulness  and  fidelity,  it  may,  perhaps,  be  characterized  by 
more  of  that  spirit  which  'hopeth  all  things'  and  'thinketh  no 
evil.' 

In  August,  1 85 1,  four  laymen  of  the  Diocese  of  New  Jersey, 
Vestrymen  in  their  respective  churches,  united  in  a  request  to 
three  Bishops,  of  whom  Bishop  Burgess  was  one,  that  such  pro- 
ceedings as  they  might  deem  necessary,  should  be  instituted,  in 
view  of  various  reports  which  prevailed,  injuriously  affecting  the 
reputation  of  the  Bishop  of  that  Diocese.  Two  years  previously 
these  reports  had  been  the  subject  of  a  resolution  of  inquiry  in 
the  Convention  of  New  Jersey.  The  resolution  was  lost,  no  one 
voting  in  the  affirmative.  With  the  passage  of  two  years  the 
reports  had  not  lessened,  but  continued  painfully  to  agitate  the 
Church.  The  Bishops  who  finally  acted  in  the  case.  Bishops 
Meade,  Burgess,  and  Mcllvaine,  felt  that  inquiry  had  become 
imperatively  necessary.  The  Canon  ^^rovided  that  proceedings, 
in  such  a  case,  might  be  instituted  either  by  the  Diocesan  Con- 
vention, or  by  any  three  Bishops.  These  Bishops  referred  the 
matter,  in  the  first  instance,  to  the  Diocesan  Convention,  through 
Bishop  Doane  himself.  This  was  followed  by  his  '  protest,  ap- 
peal, and  reply,'  dated  February  5th,  1852.  A  special  Conven- 
tion was  called.  The  course  of  the  three  Bishops  was  pro- 
nounced unwarrantable,  and  inquiry  declared  to  be  unnecessary. 
A  Presentment,  with  charges  principally  in  regard  to  pecuniary 
matters,  was  then  made  by  the  three  Bishops,  and  the  time  of 
trial  appointed  for  the  24th  of  June,  1852.     The  Convention  of 


THE  PRESENTMENT  OF  BISHOP  DOANE.  327 

New  Jersey,  after  inquiry  and  the  taking  of  evidence,  on  July 
14th,  fully  exculpated  their  Bishop  from  any  charge  of  crime  or 
immorality  made  against  him.  After  a  postponement,  which 
rendered  a  second  presentment  necessary,  the  Court  finally  as- 
sembled October  7th.  Further  proceedings  in  the  case  were 
resisted  by  the  Bishop  and  Convention  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 
ground  that  most  of  the  charges  had  been  investigated,  and 
that  they  were  ready  to  examine  into  the  truth  of  the  remainder. 
Upon  this  ground  the  presentment  was  dismissed ;  eight  Bishops 
voting  for  stay  of  proceedings,  and  six  voting  against  it.  Subse- 
quently, under  the  same  views  of  duty,  by  which  they  had  all  along 
been  actuated,  demand  being  made  upon  them  by  more  than 
ohe  hundred  and  thirty  communicants  of  the  Diocese  of  New 
Jersey,  the  three  Bishops  made  a  third  presentment.  The  Court 
assembled  under  this  presentment,  on  tlie  loth  of  September, 
1853.  The  Bishop  and  Convention  of  New  Jersey  still  opposed 
the  trial,  on  the  ground,  principally,  that  the  matter  belonged 
to  the  Diocese,  and  that  the  Diocese  had  done  its  duty.  Finally 
a  compromise  was  sought  to  be  effected  between  the  presenters 
and  the  accused.  The  presenters  declined  becoming  parties  to 
any  arrangement,  and  claimed  that  a  trial  must  take  place.  An 
acknowledgment  of  various  indiscretions,  errors  and  infirmi- 
ties, leading  to  the  appearance  of  intentional  wrong  and  misrepre- 
sentation regarding  his  affairs,  having  been  made  by  the  Bishop 
of  New  Jersey,  it  was  ordered  that  '  further  proceedings  be  dis- 
continued, and  the  respondent  be  discharged  without  day.' 

This  brief  statement  of  the  more  material  facts  in  the  case 
cannot  be  dismissed  without  some  consideration  of  the  principles 
upon  which  the  presenting  Bishops  acted  in  these  exceedingly 
painful  proceedings. 

Happily  the  question  of  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  Bishop 
of  New  Jersey  is  not  necessarily  involved.  Had  the  trial  pro- 
ceeded, and  resulted  in  an  entire  acquittal ;  had  the  utter  ground- 
lessness of  all  the  charges  been  shown,  still  the  principles  upon 
which  the  three  Bishops  acted  are'  perfectly  clear  and  well  estab- 
lished, and  the  course  which  they  pursued  was  the  only  canon- 
ical, upright,  and  honorable  one  under  the  circumstances  in 
which  they  were  placed. 


328  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

The  course  of  the  three  Bishops  in  writing  to  the  Bishop  of 
New  Jersey,  advising  him  to  call  a  special  convention  of  his 
Diocese  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  these  reports,  has  been 
made  the  subject  of  severe  censure.  That  reports  of  a  serious 
character  widely  prevailed  was  admitted  on  all  hands.  Whether 
they  truly  represented  acts  which  had  been  committed,  or  were 
the  groundless  accusations  to  which  men  of  strong  will  and  san- 
guine temperament,  in  the  carrying  on  of  large  operations,  are 
liable,  it  is  not  for  us  to  consider.  The  fact  of  their  existence 
remains.  For  two  years  the  Diocesan  Convention  had  not  thought 
it  expedient  to  notice  them.  It  was  clearly  the  right  of  that  Con- 
vention, or  of  any  three  Bishops,  to  make  inquiry.  The  Bishops 
before  whom  the  matter  was  brought  felt  that  the  interests  of 
the  Church  demanded  inquiry.  There  is  a  manifest  principle 
by  which  the  three  Bishops  were  governed  in  coming  to  this 
conclusion.  It  is  true  that  there  are  many  cases  in  which 
unfounded  reports  are  to  be  disregarded,  and  '  lived  down'  by 
him  who  is  the  subject  of  them;  but  where  they  are  persistent, 
and  of  such  a  character  as  to  affect  the  reputation  of  one  in 
sacred  office,  and  wound  the  purity  of  the  Church;  where  they 
are  not  silenced  even  by  great  abilities,  or  services,  or  sacrifices, 
then  investigation  becomes  necessary  for  the  Church  in  any  case, 
for  the  accused  pre-eminently  if  innocent. 

Admitting  such  reports  and  such  a  demand,  it  is  not  easy  to  see 
how  the  three  Bishops  could  have  proceeded  in  their  first  step  more 
wisely  for  the  Church,  or  more  considerately  for  the  accused. 
Under  the  Canon  for  the  trial  of  a  Bishop,  whether  the  present- 
ment were  made  by  the  Diocesan  Convention  or  by  other  Bishops, 
it  was  expected  that  a  thorough  inquiry  into  the  nature  of  the 
charges  and  the  evidence  by  which  they  were  to  be  sustained, 
should  be  made.  That  the  three  Bishops  should,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, refer  the  preliminary  inquiry  to  the  Diocesan  Convention, 
was  in  itself  eminently  proper,  and  in  accordance  with  the  manifest 
intention  of  the  Canon.  That  they  should  refer  it  to  a  Conven- 
tion so  devoted  to  its  Bishop  as  was  that  of  New  Jersey,  is  an 
evidence  of  their  disposition  to  have  the  inquiry  made  under 
circumstances  the  most  favorable  to  the  accused.  And  certainly 
this  devotion,  which  must  be  admitted  to  speak  loudly  in  behalf 


THE  PRESENTMENT  OF  BISHOP  DOANE.  329 

of  the  Bishop,  justifies  also  the  demand,  which  the  three  Bishops 
made  in  the  interest  of  the  purity  of  the  Church,  that  the  inves- 
tigation be  thorough,  and  with  the  examination  of  all  the  charges 
and  evidence  if  it  is  to  become  a  substitute  for  their  own. 

The  views  and  feelings  of  Bishop  Burgess  at  this  period,  as 
exhibited  in  the  following  letters,  and  especially  in  the  letter  to 
the  Bishop  of  New  Jersey,  show  how  unfounded  was  the  charge 
of  'threatening,'  and  'dictation,'  urged  against  him  and  the 
other  two  Bishops. 

To  Bishop  Meade  : — 

'Gardiner,  Sept.  9th,  185 1 :  I  went  up  to  Boston  on  purpose 
to  see  Bishop  Eastburn,  and  we  made  the  subject  one  of  very 
anxious  conference,  and  consulted  two  laymen  of  the  highest 
Christian  character ;  one  a  mercantile  man,  the  other  a  lawyer. 
The  result  of  our  reflections,  so  far  as  we  arrived  at  any,  was  fa- 
vorable to  the  course  of  communicating  with  Bishop  Doane,  and 
calling  on  him  to  present  the  charges  to  his  own  Diocese  for  a 
fair  investigation.  I  am  clearly  in  favor  of  this  course,  after  hav- 
ing studied  the  question  of  my  duty  with  most  earnest  attention 
and  continual  prayer.  *  *  *  *        .  *       .  *  . 

Should  he  refuse  to  seek  or  permit  a  full  and  fair  investigation, 
the  matter  would  still  be  in  our  power  ;  and  we  should  then 
stand  before  the  public  free  from  all  obloquy,  and  compelled 
either  to  pronounce  the  charges  inadequately  sustained,  or  to 
act.  In  such  a  matter,  I  should  wish  to  act  only  under  compul- 
sion of  one  kind  or  another. 

Should  this  course  be  satisfactory  to  you,  much  trouble  will 
be  spared  us,  and  I  suppose  that  it  would  be  sufficient  for  you 
to  communicate  with  Mr.  Halstead,  and  then  to  prepare  a  docu- 
ment addressed  to  Bishop  Doane,  which  we  all  might  sign.  But 
I  should  wish,  in  such  a  document,  very  clearly  to  express  our 
sense  of  the  conduct  imputed  by  these  charges,  and  even  of  that 
part  which  has  long  been  made  public  and  not  denied,  and  to 
show  that  no  general  vote  of  a  Convention,  without  an  ample 
and  honest  inquiry,  would  be  viewed  by  us  as  withdrawing  the 
subject  from  our  hands.' 

In  a  letter  to  Bishop  Meade  he  writes  : — 

'Bath,  Sept.  17th,  1851  :  The  letter  to  Bishop  Doane  strikes 
me  as  admirably  worded  and  in  the  very  tone  which  I  would 
have  desired,  and  which  is  best  adapted  to  its  purpose.  That  it 
will  lead  him  to  ask  the  investigation,  I  am  by  no  means  confi- 
dent.    But,  whatever  be  the  result,  this  course  is  satisfactory  to 


33°  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

my  conscience,  as  one  which,  while  it  is  faithful  to  the  discipline 
of  the  Church,  is  the  kindest  towards  him;  and  it  approves  itself 
to  my  judgment  as  adapted  to  take  away  all  cause  of  resentment 
on  the  part  of  his  Diocese,  and  to  show  to  all  the  Church  that, 
if  compelled  to  institute  inquiry,  we  did  it,  not  from  any  motive 
of  theological  or  ecclesiastical  opposition,  but  only  from  the 
plainest  compulsion  of  duty,  and  after  every  other  resource  had 
been  exhausted. 

Would  to  God  that  our  brother  would,  first  in  his  own  secret 
chamber,  and  then  before  his  Diocese,  offer  that  full  and  humble 
acknowledgment  of  all  which  has  been  wrong,  as  much,  be  it 
more  or  less,  must  have  been,  which  might  bring  peace  to  him, 
and  them,  and  all  of  us,  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour  !' 

To  Bishop  Doane  : — 

Gardiner,  Feb.  loth,  1852. 

'Right  Reverend  and  Dear  Sir: — 

You  have  already  received  a  document,  bearing  my  signature, 
with  those  of  two  other  Bishops.  I  trust  you  will  believe  that  I 
signed  it  with  no  other  feeling  than  one  of  simple  constraint. 
But  I  am  desirous  at  the  same  time  to  do  what,  were  you  in  my 
place,  and  I  in  yours,  I  should  esteem  the  part  of  a  brother  in 
Christ,  and  frankly  to  state  the  principles  which  seemed  to  me 
to  make  this  course  a  duty,  and  the  result  which  I  earnestly  de- 
sire. 

A  number  of  definite  charges  were  laid  before  me,  sustained 
by  men  of  respectable  position,  members  of  the  Church  ;  and  I 
was  called  upon  to  act  as  the  circumstances  might  require.  If 
these  charges  could  be  proved  to  me,  a  most  anxious  and  solemn 
question  of  duty  would  be  presented,  from  the  very  considera- 
tion of  which  I  would  shrink  as  long  as  might  be  possible.  I 
wished  to  avoid  it  entirely,  with  all  its  train  of  consequences, 
serious  and  disastrous  as  they  must  be,  whatever  were  the  issue. 
But  the  charges  were  made,  and  they  could  not  be  passed  with- 
out notice.  Had  they  been  made  against  a  friend  engaged  in 
business,  we  could  not  give  him  our  confidence,  until  they  were 
answered.  Had  they  been  made  against  a  private  communicant, 
we  should  feel  that  his  pastor  had  a  right  to  an  explanation. 
Had  they  been  made  against  a  presbyter,  he  would  be  compelled 
to  reply  ;  and  I  myself  have  had  the  pain  of  pronouncing  official 
censure  on  a  clergyman  who  had  made  himself  liable  to  charges 
of  a  similar  description.  It  is  not  possible,  when  they  are  made 
against  a  Bishop,  that  they  should  be  received  in  silence. 

Why  the  subject  was  presented  to  me  rather  than  to  others, 
I  had  perhaps  no  right  to  inquire.  Some  of  our  brethren  cer- 
tainly stood  in  personal  and  local  relations  towards  you,  which 


THE  PRESENTMENT  OF  BISHOP  DOANE.  331 

might  form  an  adequate  excuse  for  hesitating  to  approach  a  sub- 
ject so  distressing.  I  could  not  allege  any  such  reason  which 
could  not  as  justly  be  alleged,  by  all  who  had  received  nothing 
but  kindness  at  your  hands  in  their  official  intercourse,  and  who 
had  friends  that  were  your  friends. 

But,  indeed,  I  am  not  at  all  acting  as  an  accuser  or  persecu- 
tor ;  and  the  most  affectionate  of  private  friends  might  ask  of 
you  that  which  I  desire.  If  I  might  venture  to  speak  boldly 
and  affectionately,  as  a  brother,  I  would  say,  since  these  charges 
are  once  made,  your  character,  your  honor,  the  cause  of  the 
Church,  the  cause  of  the  Gospel,  and  justice  to  those  who,  within 
your  own  Diocese,  are  offended,  all  demand  some  public  reply. 
But  I  would  also  say,  that  such  a  statement  as  is  satisfactory  to 
your  conscience  in  your  closet,  as  before  God,  should  be,  and  I 
believe,  would  be  satisfactory  to  all.  Whatever  the  facts  may 
be,  I  apprehend  that  you  could  so  state  them  that  no  farther 
evidence  would  be  sought  on  any  side.  Then,  if  it  should  be 
that  in  the  attempt  to  establish  extensive  foundations  for  a  great 
work  of  great  advantage  to  the  Church,  in  the  ardor  of  hope,  in 
the  habitual  control  of  large  pecuniary  means,  and  in  the  absence 
of  special  acquaintance  with  the  course  of  business,  you  had  been 
led  into  rash  engagements,  uncertain  calculations,  unguarded 
statements,  encroachments  on  the  rights  of  others,  and  even  at 
the  utmost  into  some  deceptive  evasions,  into  temporary  appro- 
priation of  funds  which  were  not  at  your  disposal,  to  the  relief 
of  your  grievous  necessity,  or  into  careless  attestation  under 
oath  ;  if  it  should  be  so,  what  could  be  more  worthy  of  a  Chris- 
tian Bishop,  feeling  himself  to  be  in  the  wrong,  or  more  for  the 
peace  of  the  Church,  or  more  for  the  tranquillity  of  your  own 
heart  in  the  dying  hour,  than  an  open,  unconstrained  avowal  of 
all  which  that  heart  condemns,  and  no  more  ?  It  would  disarm 
all  accusation.  It  would  place  you  where  every  one  of  your 
brethren  must  desire  that  you  shall  stand ;  in  an  attitude  which 
the  world  could  not  misconstrue  or  exaggerate.  We  cannot 
balance  great  services,  talents,  or  excellencies,  against  charges 
like  these.  What  is  absolutely  wrong  must  be  pronounced  such 
by  the  Church  of  Christ,  whenever  it  is  called  to  pronounce ; 
and  no  personal  respect,  no  belief  of  the  general  rectitude  and 
beneficent  intentions  of  the  individual,  can  vary  that  decision 
on  specific  acts.  But  when  the  wrong  has  been  acknowledged, 
and  so  done  away,  all  good  men  pay  gladly  the  full  tribute  of 
their  reverence  and  love  to  the  excellence  which  remains,  and  is 
no  longer  clouded. 

This,  Right  Reverend  and  Dear  Sir,  is  what  my  heart 
prompts  me  to  say,  and  while  I  most  deeply  feel  that,  in  doing 
with  others,  what  I  could  not  with  a  good  conscience  refuse,  I 


332  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

have  been  an  instrument  of  great  pain  to  you,  I  do  assure  you 
that  it  is  my  fervent  prayer  that  you  may  possess  always  the 
affectionate  attachment  of  your  Diocese,  and  the  respectful  con- 
fidence of  mankind. 

I  am,  very  sincerely, 

Your  Brother  in  Christ, 

George  Burgess.' 

The  Convention  of  New  Jersey,  acting  upon  its  own  convic- 
tions, and  in  the  exercise  of  its  clear  right  of  judgment,  having 
expressed  its  confidence  in  the  integrity  of  the  Bishop,  and 
having  re'solved  that  further  proceedings  were  unnecessary,  the 
three  Bishops,  not  satisfied  with  the  decision,  proceeded  to  make 
inquiry  themselves.  The  result  of  their  patient  and  conscientious 
labor  was  the  conviction  that  a  trial  was  demanded,  and  in  the 
exercise  of  an  equally  clear  right  of  action  they  made  a  Present- 
ment. 

The  subsequent  course  of  the  three  Bishops  must  be  regarded 
in  the  light  of  their  claim,  the  soundness  of  which  it  would  seem 
impossible  to  question,  that  a  presentnnent  having  been  once 
canonically  made,  a  trial  must  be  had  upon  the  charges  pre- 
sented. No  subsequent  action  on  the  part  of  the  Diocesan 
Convention  could  withdraw  the  case  from  the  hands  which  had 
taken  it  up.  The  fact  that  the  Convention  did  afterwards  make 
inquiry,  and  did  resolve  not  to  present,  could  constitute  no  bar 
to  proceedings  under  the  first  presentment,  or  the  second,  or 
any  other  which  the  law  of , the  Church  might  authorize.  The 
Canon  provided  two  parties  in  order  that  the  failure  of  one  to 
act  might  not  defeat  the  maintenance  of  discipline.  Nothing 
but  an  actual  presentment  by  one  of  these  parties  could  deprive 
the  other  of  its  concurrent  right  to  act  in  the  premises.  The 
case  was  therefore  clearly  in  the  hands  of  the  presenting  Bishops, 
with  the  right  to  demand  a  trial  upon  the  charges  made. 

It  has  been  urged,  however,  against  the  conduct  of  the  pre- 
senting Bishops,  that  they  manifested  undue  persistency  and 
disregard  of  the  disposition  more  than  once  made  of  the  case 
by  the  New  Jersey  Convention  and  by  the  decision  of  the  Court 
of  Bishops.  As  evidence  of  this  has  been  alleged  the  fact 
that  three  presentments  were  made,  and  that  the  trial  was  urged 


THE  PRESENTMENT  OF  BISHOP  DOANE.  333 

to  the  very  last.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  second  pre- 
sentment was  offered  merely  because  it  was  doubtful  whether  the 
first  could  be  legally  before  the  Court,  since  the  time  of  its 
meeting  had  been,  without  authority  of  Canon,  postponed.  The 
third  was  made  only  when  the  pressure  of  evil  reports  had 
greatly  increased,  and  when  the  illegal  and  unsatisfactory  cha- 
racter of  the  conclusion  reached  under  the  second  presentment 
had  been  widely  acknowledged.  As  to  a  disregard  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Diocese  of  New  Jersey,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  Diocese  was  in  no  sense  a  party  in  the  case ;  and  so  the 
Court  finally  decided.  All  that  it  could  claim  was  the  moral 
influence  which  its  proceedings  might  have  with  the  presenting 
Bishops  to  induce  them  to  withdraw  their  presentment.  There 
was  certainly  no  good  cause  for  complaint  that  its  influence  was 
not  controlling  in  the  case.  The  presenting  Bishops  asserted 
that  some  of  the  most  important  evidence  of  guilt  had  never 
been  before  the  Diocesan  Convention.  They  doubtless  felt, 
also,  that  the  repeated  declarations  of  its  confidence  in  the 
Bishop's  integrity,  and  its  zealous  adherence  to  his  cause,  pre- 
vented it,  however  sincere  its  purpose,  from  forming  a  calm, 
impartial  judgment. 

The  ground  taken  by  the  presenting  Bishops,  that  the  present- 
ment, if  canonically  made,  must  be  followed  by  trial,  pre- 
vented them  from  acquiescing  in  the  final  determination  of  the 
Court.  It  was  not  unnatural,  perhaps,  that  the  Bishops  should 
be  inclined  to  overlook  the  fact,  that  they  were  convened  only 
for  the  exercise  of  judicial  functions.  The  evident  embarrass- 
ments of  a  trial,  and  some  legal  difficulties  which  their  former 
action,  in  the  opinion  of  a  few  of  the  Court,  had  thrown  in  their 
way,  disposed  the  Bishops  to  seek  a  satisfaction  of  the  presentment 
by  other  means  than  the  strict  administration  of  law.  A  com- 
promise was  suggested,  the  principal  features  of  which  were  to 
be  a  qualified  acknowledgment  on  the  part  of  the  Bishop  re- 
spondent, and  the  withdrawal  of  the  presentment.  In  declining 
any  such  compromise  or  arrangement,  the  presenting  Bishops 
claimed  that  they  had  made  serious  charges  against  the  accused; 
that  they  were  in  possession  of  evidence  which,  in  their 
opinion,  compelled  the  conclusion  of  his  guilt,  and  were  ready 


334  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

to  offer  it;  that  the  charges  had  not  been  tried,  or  refuted,  or 
the  evidence  of  them  heard,  and  that  they  could  not  be  with- 
drawn; that  nothing  but  a  confession  on  the  part  of  the  accused 
could  arrest  the  trial ;  that  such  a  confession  must  be  a  confes- 
sion explicitly  of  the  things  with  which  he  was  charged ;  and 
that  such  a  confession,  if  made,  must  be  followed  by  the  appro- 
priate sentence  of  the  Court,  with  such  modifications  of  penalty 
as  any  mitigating  circumstances  might  demand. 

It  was  the  right  of  the  Bishop  of  New  Jersey,  claiming,  as  he 
did,  to  be  an  innocent  man,  to  have  these  injurious  reports  inves- 
tigated, and  to  demand  and  have  trial  upon  any  charges  of 
offence  against  moral  or  church  law.  There  could  be  no  cir- 
cumstances more  favorable  to  him  for  such  an  investigation  and 
trial.  The  imprudences  which  he  was  ready  to  admit,  in  his 
*  ventures  for  Christian  education,'  would  have  received  the  kind- 
est and  most  indulgent  construction  from  all  his  brethren,  and 
from  none  more  than  the  presenters.  The  distinction  which  he 
made  between  his  position  as  a  man  and  as  a  Bishop,  desiring  trial 
in  the  one  relation  and  resisting  it  in  the  other,  would  seem  to  be 
without  reason,  and  unjust  to  himself.  His  rights  as  a  man  were 
far  more  sacred  than  any  embarrassments  that  might  beset  his 
position  as  a  Bishop.  Indeed,  his  position  as  a  Bishop  could  in 
no  way  be  so  vindicated  and  dignified  as  by  his  assertion  of  his 
rights  as  a  man.  The  presenting  Bishops  felt,  therefore,  that 
everything  in  the  position  of  the  Bishop  of  New  Jersey  should 
lead  him,  claiming  to  be  innocent,  to  forward  the  proceedings 
which  they,  in  behalf  of  the  purity  of  the  Church,  had  insti- 
tuted. While,  therefore,  they  submitted  to  the  action  of  the 
Court  as  final,  they  declined  to  agree  to  the  reasons  for  which 
the  presentment  was  dismissed,  and  the  respondent  discharged. 

The  last  order  of  the  Court,  adopted  by  unanimous  vote,  all 
the  members  being  present  and  answering  to  the  call,  was — 

'  Ordered,  That  this  Court  believe  the  Presenters  to  have 
acted  in  good  faith,  and  with  the  desire  and  determination  to 
carry  out  the  law  of  the  Church  in  such  case  made  and  provided, 
in  the  painful  duty  which  they  have  felt  themselves  called  upon 
to  perform.' 


THE  PRESENTMENT  OF  BISHOP  DOANE.  335 

The  Bishop  of  New  Jersey  also,  in  his  declaration,  on  the 
files  of  the  Court,  says  : — 

'  He  has  no  disposition  to  ascribe  to  the  three  Bishops  any 
other  than  just  and  proper  motives  in  thus  addressing  him. 
(Reference  is  made  to  the  letter  which  called  out  his  *  Pro- 
test, Appeal,  and  Reply.')  But,  under  the  strong  excitement 
of  the  moment,  he  penned  a  pamphlet,  expressions  in  which, 
with  regard  to  those  brethren,  he  deeply  regrets.' 

There  are  certain  features  in  the  character  of  Bishop  Burgess 
which  are  strikingly  illustrated  by  these  proceedings,  and  to 
which  brief  allusion  will  be  made.  He  was  remarkable  for  the 
most  scrupulous  integrity  in  all  pecuniary  transactions,  and  re- 
garded the  slightest  departure  from  this  high  standard,  especi- 
ally among  clergymen,  as  a  grievous  fault.  He  was,  therefore, 
naturally  most  sensitive  to  any  reproach  inflicted  in  this  respect 
upon  the  Church,  and  could  not  rest  satisfied  until  its  honor  was 
vindicated.  Another  strong  feature  in  the  character  of  Bishop 
Burgess  was  the  firmness  with  which  he  adhered  to  what  he  re- 
garded as  principle.  Having  once  satisfied  himself  that  the  only 
course  which  the  House  of  Bishops  could  rightly  pursue  was  to 
proceed  to  a  trial  upon  the  presentment,  he  stood  unmoved  upon 
that  ground,  and  never  yielded  it  to  the  end.  But  he  was  equally 
characterized  by  tenderness  towards  those  whom  he  supposed  to 
be  in  fault.  He  says  in  his  Journal  that  he  had  entered  upon 
these  proceedings  '  with  a  heavy  heart  but  a  good  conscience  ;' 
and  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  dated  March  9th,  1853,  he  says  : — 

'  As  it  will  probably  be  very  shortly  necessary  to  decide  respect- 
ing the  further  proceedings  against  Bishop  Doane,  I  have  been 
very  anxious  to  know'  how  far  his  health  might  really  be  im- 
paired, for  I  would  do  nothing  which  might  be  prejudicial  in 
that  respect  if  it  could  possibly  be  avoided.' 

Bishop  Burgess  thus  expresses  his  feelings,  in  a  letter  to  a 
friend,  at  the  final  conclusion  of  those  proceedings : — 

'  While  the  presenting  Bishops  feel  themselves  relieved  from 
a  great  burden,  and  are  thankful  for  an  issue,  on  the  whole  so 
much  better  than  they  feared,  neither  of  them  would  exchange 
his  position  in  the  matter  for  that  of  any  of  his  brethren.'  " 


23^  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

XLVI. 

VISIT  TO  FREDERICTON. 

It  was  the  custom  of  Bishop  Burgess,  when  he  made  his  annual 
visitations  to  the  eastern  part  of  his  Diocese,  to  pass  over  to  the 
British  provinces,  where  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  many  of 
the  English  clergymen.  In  reference  to  one  of  these  visits,  the 
Bishop  of  Fredericton  has  sent  the  following  communication : — 

' '  I  had  the  happiness  of  a  short  visit  from  my  esteemed  friend 
and  Brother  in  Pastoral  work,  in  June,  1863.  I  need  say  little 
on  the  personal  pleasure  we  derived  from  that  too  brief  sojourn 
with  us.  His  conversation,  always  instructive  and  charming,  was 
enlivened  by  racy  anecdotes  and  touches  of  genuine  humor,  which 
added  to  its  cheerfulness,  without  detracting  from  the  solid  sense 
which  characterized  all  he  said.  To  this  was  added  a  real 
modesty  and  unaffected  simplicity  which  sat  well  on  one  whose 
learning  and  ability  were  undoubted.  Bishop  Burgess  kindly 
complied  with  my  request  that  he  would  address  us  at  the  Anni- 
versary meeting  of  our  Diocesan  Church  Society.  The  Address, 
since  printed  in  our  Report  of  the  year  1864,  was  listened  to  with 
the  deepest  interest  by  all  who  had  the  privilege  of  hearing  it. 
In  the  simplest  style,  without  any  effort  or  desire  to  win  applause, 
in  weighty  and  well-chosen  words,  he  urged  upon  us  the  duty 
of  missionary  work,  and  rebuked  the  unfaithfulness  and  coldness 
of  heart  with  which  such  efforts  were  often  met,  and  the  excuses 
made  for  withholding  what  was  justly  due.  He  encouraged  us 
by  the  picture  he  drew  of  similar  difficulties  and  trials  experienced 
in  his  own  and  similarly  situated  dioceses,  and  he  affectingly 
appealed  to  those  for  whose  sake  the  Cathedral  Church  had  been 
built,  and  who  sat  under  its  shadow  enjoying  the  fulness  of  their 
Christian  blessings  in  peace.  None  of  his  delighted  hearers  but 
wished  that  the  address  had  been  longer,  and  it  was  unanimously 
resolved  that  it  should  be  printed  in  the  annual  Report  of  our 
Church  Society. 

I  may  add  that  while  the  Bishop  spoke  with  the  ease  and  fluency 
of  a  practised  extemporaneous  speaker,  his  sentences  were  uttered 
with  as  much  deliberation  as  if  he  had  been  reading  from  a  manu- 
script. Long  will  that  brief  visit  be  remembered,  and  great  has 
been  the  sorrow  of  many  among  us,  that  we  shall  never  on  earth 
listen  to  his  voice  again. 

John  Fredericton." 


CHEERFCLXESS.  337 


XLVII. 

CHEERFULNESS. 


As  Bishop  Burgess  has  been  described  in  these  pages  as  a 
constant  student,  a  laborious  writer,  a  hard  worker,  and  one 
who  faithfully  obeyed  the  injunction  to  "  pray  without  ceasing," 
it  is  necessary  to  portray  also  another  side  of  his  character  and 
to  show  that  he  was  no  ascetic.  In  the  midst  of  much  toil,  many 
discouragements,  and  frequent  afflictions,  being  called  to  part 
with  many  dear  friends  and  relatives,  he  was  always  bright  and 
cheerful.  It  was  because  he  had  so  largely  cultivated  heavenly 
wisdom,  and,  spending  much  time  in  his  closet,  had  learned  to 
take  serious  views  of  this  life,  that  he  felt  he  could  look  for- 
ward with  joy  to  the  life  to  come;  and  this  joy  casting  its  reflec- 
tion over  all  that  might  be  before  him  in  this  world,  he  was 
enabled  to  dismiss  all  anxiety  and  put  a  childlike  trust  in  his 
Father's  care  and  love.  A  few  lines  with  which  he  closed  a 
letter  to  a  friend  express  his  feelings.  After  wishing  him  "a 
cheerful  winter,"  he  wrote: — 

"  In  the  goodness  of  God,  heartily  believed  and  embraced, 
as  it  is  revealed  and  brought  nigh  to  us  in  Christ,  there  is  surely 
a  sufficient  ground  for  perpetual  gladness,  even  amidst  any 
sorrows,  or  when  heart  and  flesh  fail.  If  I  may  hope  to  be  happy 
forever,  through  the  mercy  of  my  Father  and  the  mediation  of 
my  Saviour,  by  whom  my  sins  are  taken  away,  what  cause  can 
I  ever  have  for  even  an  hour  of  despondency  or  a  thought  of 
gloom?  So  speaks  truth,  the  holiest  truth;  but  alas,  our  hearts 
are  too  weak  for  the  full  strength  of  faith  and  hope." 

But  over  and  above  the  cheerfulness  which  was  the  result  of 
his  faith,  there  seemed  to  be  within  him  a  spring  of  joy  and 
merriment  perpetually  bubbling  up,  and,  when  allowed  to  over- 
flow, making  all  around  him  bright.  There  was  no  gloom  or 
sombreness  about  him,  yet  the  earnestness  of  his  character  pre- 
vented him  from  lingering  long  on  merely  the  humorous  side  of 
a  subject. 

A  letter,  written  when  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  has  been  pre- 
served, which  gives  a  humorous  and  satirical  account  of  college 
matters,  including  an  exhibition.  The  skill  with  which  he 
22 


338  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

characterized,  often  by  a  single  word,  a  whole  oration,  and  the 
good-natured  severity  with  which  he  sometimes  disposed  of  both 
speeches  and  speakers,  showed  how  easily  he  might  have  become 
a  satirist,  had  not  his  humor  and  his  quick  perception  of  the  ridi- 
culous been  thoroughly  controlled  by  the  law  of  love,  which 
afterwards  so  entirely  regulated  his  words  as  well  as  his  actions. 

But  he  was  always  careful  that  his  pleasant  sallies  should  never 
wound ;  that  his  quick  replies,  sometimes  so  prompt  and  so 
pointed  as  to  deserve  to  be  called  repartees,  while  they  added 
force  to  his  arguments  and  life  to  the  conversation,  should  never 
give  pain. 

But  it  was  in  the  retirement  of  his  own  home,  or  when  in  the 
company  of  a  few  intimate  friends,  that  the  positive  fun  that  was 
in  him  was  allowed  to  escape.  Then  he  never  disdained  to  join 
in  innocent  merriment,  and,  when  young  people  were  the  ma- 
jority, to  be  one  to  make  up  the  requisite  number  for  a  lively 
game.  He  loved  to  gather  children  around  him  and  tell  them 
stories,  not  merely  such  as  he  thought  suitable,  on  Sunday,  but  on 
other  days,  stories  in  which  fun  and  nonsense  had  a  large  place. 
Children  always  felt  sure  of  his  sympathy  and  assistance  even  in 
their  sports,  and  if  rhymes  were  needed  for  a  game,  there  was  no 
one  to  whom  they  would  more  readily  apply  than  to  the  Bishop. 

The  following  Valentine,  which  he  wrote  some  years  ago, 
would  never  find  a  place  in  a  volume  of  poems ;  but  it  may 
serve  to  show  that  he  could  be  playful  at  suitable  times.  It  tells 
its  own  story. 

"  This  morning  ere  the  bell  for  nine, 
Out  spake  Mamma  so  sweetly, 
'  It  is  the  feast  of  Valentine, 
And  you  must  keep  it  meetly, 

"  '  And  send  a  token  of  regard 
For  Emma,  in  gay  order, 
Neat  verses,  on  a  printed  card, 
Within  a  flowery  border. 

"  '  Eliza,  hasten  to  the  store. 

And  buy  us  one  that  nice  is, 
A  dollar  would  be  fair  for  four, 
And  one  for  us  suffices.' 

"Then  spoke  Papa,  who,  grim  and  gruff, 

Had  all  the  while  sat  reading; 
'A  dollar  would  buy  food  enough, 
Which  many  a  house  is  needing, 


CHEERFULNESS.  339 

"'That  twenty  a  good  meal  might  taste  ; 
A  quarter,  five  would  nourish  ; 
And  would  you  pence  so  many  waste, 
To  send  a  painted  flourish? 

•' '  A  Bible  whole,  no  more  would  cost, 
Or  book  for  Emma's  pleasure.' 
Mamma,  her  hands  right  meekly  crossed 
Above  her  silvery  treasure, 

"  And  said  no  more  ;  so  I  can  send 
No  painted  flowers  adorning 
My  message  to  my  little  friend 
On  Valentine's  sweet  morning; 

*'  But  I  will  wish  you  joy  to-day, 
For  that  long-wished  for  comer, 
Who  made  your  wintry  clouds  more  gay 
Than  all  the  fields  of  summer. 

"While  in  your  Father's  arms  you  bask, 

I  think  that  he  will  rather 

Spend  all  that  child  or  wife  can  ask, 

Than  close  the  purse  and  do  the  task, 

Which  fell  on  my  grim  Father." 

When  his  mind  had  been  long  on  the  strain  and  he  felt  the 
need  of  relaxation,  it  was  a  favorite  amusement  with  him  to 
talk  for  a  little  time  in  rhyme ;  making  couplets  perhaps  on  all 
his  friends,  and  stringing  them  together  without  much  regard  to 
connection,  for  the  more  absurd  they  were,  the  greater,  appa- 
rently, was  the  relief  to  his  mind  ;  or  turning  into  verse  some 
occurrence  of  the  day.  On  one  occasion,  when  a  member  of 
the  family  was  in  New  York,  and  every  letter  carried  a  new 
commission  to  be  executed  for  friends,  it  was  not  imagined  how 
much  of  the  conversation  he  had  noticed,  until  one  evening, 
when  his  voice  was  heard  from  his  study  repeating  an  imitation 
of  a  comic  poem  called  "  Country  Commissions,"  in  which  he 
introduced  all  the  various  commissions  he  had  heard.  The 
family  entered  into  the  spirit  of  it,  and  when  he  paused,  re- 
minded him  of  others,  which  he  instantly  versified,  going  on 
until  the  list  was  exhausted  and  ending — 

"  If  more  should  occur. 

That  we  wish  you  to  do, 
To  the  errands  I've  named 

I'll  still  add  one  or  two; 
For  the  few  that  I've  written, 

Surely  can't  trouble  you. 
With  plenty  of  time 

And  nothing  to  do." 


340  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

XLVIII. 

GATHERED  FRAGMENTS. 

San  Francisco,  Gal.,  Dec.  28th,  1S66. 
"Rev.  and  Dear  Dr.  Burgess: — 

My  sister,  Mrs.  Burgess,  requests  me  to  write  you  any  recol- 
lections of  her  husband,  the  late  Bishop  of  Maine.  There  is 
little  I  can  say  which  would  be  of  use  for  your  intended  memoir. 
My  opportunities  of  meeting  him  were  only  occasional,  and  du- 
ring the  last  twelve  years  my  residence  on  the  Pacific  coast  cut 
me  off  from  personal  intercourse. 

I  first  became  acquainted  with  Dr.  Burgess  in  1837,  when  my 
father  removed  to  Hartford  and  my  family  became  his  parish- 
ioners. I  was  then  always  accustomed  to  see  him  on  my  visits 
home,  and  our  intercourse  naturally  became  more  intimate  on 
his  marriage  with  my  sister  a  few  years  later.  I  may  mention 
some  mental  traits  which  particularly  attracted  my  attention. 

One  was,  his  industry.  He  was  the  most  untiring  writer  of 
sermons  I  ever  knew.  Every  week  he  worked  at  them  as  if  he  was 
just  beginning  the  ministry,  long  after  he  had  a  stock  far  beyond 
what  most  clergymen  would  have  required  for  a  lifetime.  When 
he  removed  to  Gardiner,  on  his  appointment  to  the  Bishopric, 
I  asked  him  how  many  sermons  he  had  ?  His  answer  was  : 
'  Thirteen  hundred  ;'  and  yet,  with  this  supply,  every  one  of 
which  he  might  have  repeated  in  the  church  at  Gardiner,  he 
still  continued  his  labor  of  writing  two  new  ones  a  week. 

United  with  this  was  his  writing  for  the  press.  With  his  '  Ver- 
sion of  the  Psalms,'  '  Last  Enemy,'  and  many  minor  works,  our 
Church  community  is  familiar.  He  must  have  left  also  a  large 
mass  of  material  which  has  never  been  printed.  At  one  time, 
he  collected  all  that  is  known  of  every  Bishop  of  the  Church  of 
England  since  the  Reformation.  The  last  chapters  of  this — the 
'Accounts  of  the  Archbishops  of  Canterbury' — were  published  in 
the  early  numbers  of  the  Church  Review.  Among  the  numerous 
works  he  consulted,  I  remember  he  told  me,  he  went  through 
the  long  array  of  volumes  of  the  Gentleman's  Magazine,  to  find 
any  scattered  anecdotes  of  any  of  those  Bishops.  In  his  latter 
days  he  was  writing  a  Commentary  on  St.  Luke's  Gospel,  which 
I  believe  he  finished,  and  which  should  be  published. 

Another  trait  was,  the  wide  range  of  his  reading  and  his  won- 
derful powers  of  memory,  which  seemed  to  enable  him  to  appro- 
priate and  retain  everything  with  which  he  met.  These  gave  him 
great  power  in  the  meetings  of  the  Missionary  Board,  and  in  the 


GATHERED  FRAGMENTS.  341 

House  of  Bishops,  where  his  minute  knowledge  of  Ecclesiastical 
History  enabled  him  to  produce  an  array  of  facts  with  regard  to 
the  past  working  of  the  Church,  which  his  opponent  was  not 
able  to  gainsay.  There  was  an  accuracy  about  his  knowledge 
which  I  never  knew  to  be  at  fault. 

His  reading  and  information  often  embraced  subjects  with 
which,  it  would  have  been  supposed,  he  had  no  sympathy.  For 
instance,  I  have  never  met  an  individual  as  thoroughly  acquainted 
as  he  was,  with  the  British  Peerage.  I  will  give  two  little  exam- 
ples of  this.  Once,  while  we  were  staying  in  the  house  together, 
I  was  reading  Curzon's  '  Monasteries  of  the  Levant,'  when  I 
asked  him  :  '  Doctor,  what  title  is  there  in  the  Curzon  family  ? 
I  see  the  author  has  'Honorable'  before  his  name.'  He  re- 
plied immediately,  with  great  animation  :  '  There  are  two  titles 
in  the  Curzon  family,'  &c.,  tracing  out  the  two  lines  as  fully  and 
accurately  as  if  he  belonged  to  the  Herald's  College.  At  an- 
other time,  for  some  reason,  I  was  interested  in  the  Stuart 
rebellions  of  17 15  and  1745,  and  hac^  been  reading  on  the  sub- 
ject till  I  thought  I  was  perfectly  acquainted  with  all  the  his- 
torical incidents  and  the  fortunes  of  the  great  families  who  suf- 
fered in  these  attempts.  So,  thinking  I  would  try  an  experiment 
on  Dr.  Burgess,  I  brought  the  conversation  round  to  those  points. 
He  at  once  took  up  the  subject,  and  began  discoursing  about 
Lords  Derwentwater,  Lovett,  Balmarino,  and  Kilmarnock,  even 
telling  me,  I  remember,  where  the  present  heir  of  the  Kilmar- 
nock family  was,  until  I  found  that  with  all  my  previous  '  cram 
ming,'  he  knew  more  about  the  subject  than  I  did.  I  mention 
these  as  intellectual  traits  which  perhaps  his  other  friends  have 
not  given  you. 

I  remember,  when  he  was  elected  Bishop  of  Maine — an  office 
which  he  accepted  most  unwillingly  and  only  from  the  strongest 
sense  of  duty,  involving,  as  it  did,  the  sacrifice  of  leaving  his 
large  parish  at  Hartford,  the  only  one  in  which  he  had  ever 
ministered — with  how  much  humility  he  discussed  the  question. 
He  drew  up  in  parallel  columns  two  lists,  one,  the  reasons  for 
acceptance  (such  as,  being  a  New  England  man,  &c.),  and  the 
other,  his  reasons  for  non-acceptance.  Li  the  latter  list  one  of 
the  reasons  was  'personal  unfitness.' 

While  in  Europe  in  the  spring  of  1865,  I  heard  from  home  of 
his  illness  and  the  attack  which  eventually  ended  his  life,  and 
on  my  return  in  August  sailed  for  Boston  that  I  might  visit  Gar- 
diner. He  met  me  at  the  station  on  my  arrival,  and  had  I  not 
been  previously  warned,  I  should  hardly  have  recognized  him. 
I  spent  a  few  days  with  him,  and  in  the  only  walk  we  took  to- 
gether I  shall  never  forget  the  interest  he  showed  in  some  of  my 
literary  schemes  and  the  valuable  hints  he  gave.     I   realized 


342  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

then,  I  believe,  more  fully  than  any  of  the  imnaediate  family 
about  him,  how  ill  he  was,  and  urged  him,  as  soon  as  the  House 
of  Bishops  should  adjourn,  to  accompany  me  to  California  for 
the  winter.  But  he  would  not  take  so  serious  a  view  of  his  own 
case.  We  were  together  for  three  weeks  in  October,  in  the 
House  of  Bishops,  and  then  parted,  as  I  feared,  never  to  meet 
again  in  this  world. 

I  have  said  nothing  of  his  religious  character,  his  zeal,  self- 
denial,  or  devotion,  for  these  traits  are  before  the  world.  They 
formed  his  life,  and  all  his  actions  were  but  their  outward  expres- 
sion. He  had  a  phrase  I  have  heard  him  quote,  which  seemed 
to  reconcile  him  to  every  hardship  or  discomfort — '  God  does 
not  intend  us  to  have  a  Paradise  in  this  world  !'  To  me  one  of 
his  most  striking  traits  was  his  perfect  purity  of  character.  It 
seemed  to  pervade  every  thought  and  impulse  of  his  mind. 
Another  evident  trait  was  his  perfect  honesty.  He  was  entirely 
open  and  transparent  in  all  he  did.  His  friends  knew  just  where 
to  find  him  ;  he  could  be  entirely  depended  on  ;  and  when  it  was 
a  point  of  duty,  no  one  could  be  more  inflexible.  He  could  be, 
without  shrinking  (to  use  Milton's  phrase),  '  the  sole  advocate 
of  a  discountenanced  truth.' 

Perhaps  I  cannot  give  a  better  illustration  of  his  religious 
character  than  a  sentence  from  the  last  letter  he  ever  wrote  me. 
It  was  dated  St.  Thomas,  January  i6th,  1866,  and  after  discuss- 
ing the  state  of  his  health  and  his  prospects  of  recovery,  he  con- 
cludes— '  But  all  is  in  the  wisest  hands;  and  if  I  am  but  Christ's, 
all  things  are  mine.' 

I  have  thus  thrown  together  a  few  facts  which  you  would  not 
be  likely  to  have  from  other  sources.  Surrounded  as  you  are 
by  those  who  were  intimate  with  Bishop  Burgess,  and  with  his 
papers  in  your  hands,  it  is  unnecessary  that  I  should  enter  on  any 
discussion  of  his  character  as  a  Christian  Bishop.  '  His  works 
live  after  him.'  Believe  me,  yours  very  truly, 

Wm.  Ingraham  Kip, 
Bishop  of  California." 

In  connection  with  Bishop  Kip's  letter,  a  few  of  Bishop  Bur- 
gess' traits  and  habits,  which  have  not  been  mentioned  else- 
where, may  be  recorded,  as  without  them  the  delineation  of  his 
character,  which  has  been  attempted  in  this  volume,  would  be 
incomplete. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  his  singular  purity  of  heart  and 
mind.  This  was  very  remarkable.  While  he  thoroughly  en- 
joyed a  good  joke,  he  would  not  listen  to  the  best  story,  much 
less  repeat  it,  if  it  was  marked  by  the  least  taint  of  vulgarity. 


GATHERED  FRAGMENTS.  343 

Even  when  a  boy,  lie  would  not  hear  an  indecent  or  coarse  tale 
or  allusion,  for  it  gave  him  no  pleasure  to  listen  to  such  things. 

His  charity,  too,  was  a  conspicuous  trait;  and  he  never  re- 
peated stories  prejudicial  to  the  character  of  another  unless  for 
a  good  reason. 

How  carefully  he  discouraged  all  that  might  be  called  clerical 
gossip,  the  clergymen  who  have  been  associated  with  him  re- 
member.    In  a  letter  to  a  friend  occurs  this  passage  : — 

"Your  account  of   the  ecclesiastical   differences  at  is 

very  painful.  More  magnanimity  is  needed  on  the  part  of  those 
who  dislike  the  Bishop  ;  and  more  tolerance  on  his  own.  If 
there  be  one  thing  which  from  my  heart  I  despise,  it  is  clerical 
intrigue,  and  the  disposition  for  petty  quarrels  amongst  ministers 
of  the  same  Church  and  Lord.  I  regret  exceedingly  that  the 
Bishop  has  not  more  conciliated  all ;  but,  called  as  he  was  to 
that  place,  and  filling  it  as  he  does,  I  cannot  have  the  slightest 
sympathy  with  a  system  of  annoyances,  fretfulness,  and  gossip, 
through  which  he  is  to  be  made  uncomfortable  and  his  influence 
undermined,  till  at  length,  perhaps,  the  mischief  may  be  such 
as  to  alarm  its  very  authors.  But  it  is  a  pity  to  speak  much  of 
such  things,  for  they  grow  by  speaking  ;  and  often  they  have 
almost  their  whole  importance  from  the  place  which  they  have  been 
permitted  to  occupy  in  the  private  conversation  of  clergymen." 

Perhaps  it  was  easier  for  him  to  abstain  from  gossip  than  for 
many  others,  for  his  mind  seemed  to  be  too  full  of  more  weighty 
matters  to  dwell  much  upon  even  the  innocent  news  of  the  com- 
munity, and  he  seldom  thought  of  repeating  it.  This  made  it 
easy  for  him  to  keep  the  many  secrets  intrusted  to  him,  and 
what  was  told  him  in  confidence  always  rested  with  him. 

His  charity,  still  using  the  word  in  the  largest  Scriptural  sense, 
was  constantly  shown  in  his  care  not  to  give  needless  pain. 

"I  remember,"  writes  a  friend,  "with  how  much  patience  he 
used  to  bear  with  some  simple  or  weak-minded  persons,  when 
they,  not  knowingly,  were  taking  from  him  so  much  of  his  pre- 
cious time  ;  and  how  cautious  he  was  not  in  the  least  to  wound 
their  feelings." 

Said  another : — 

"I  have  more  than  once  heard  him  mispronounce  a  word 
when  obliged  to  use  it  immediately  after  hearing  another  person 
make   the   mistake,  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  giving  pain  by 


344  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

seeming  to  correct  him.  On  one  occasion,  I  heard  him  pro- 
nounce Virginia  with  a  hard  g,  after  noticing  that  pronunciation, 
in  a  poor,  ignorant  German." 

A  single  sentence  in  a  letter  to  a  mother  shows  how  highly  he 
prized  kindness  of  feeling  and  action. 

"  Try  to  cherish  in  him  a  good  and  kind,  as  well  as  obedient 
disposition,  from  the  first ;  those  things  seem  to  begin  even 
before  any  principles  can  be  instilled.  But  I  am  speaking  to 
one  who  knows,  perhaps,  much  better  than  her  adviser." 

He  was  a  person  with  whom  it  was  impossible  to  quarrel.  He 
was  eminently  a  peace-maker  and  a  peace-preserver.  He  would 
not  allow  any  one  to  be  at  variance  with  him,  but  always  acted 
on  the  principle  that  it  took  two  to  make  a  quarrel,  and  that 
the  party  who  knew  that  he  was  in  the  right  could  afford  to  be 
generous.  It  sometimes  happened  that  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duty  he  gave  offence ;  but  he  never  would  see  it.  He  went  on 
his  way  as  usual,  never  forcing  himself  upon  the  offended  par- 
ties, but  meeting  them  as  pleasantly  as  ever,  calling  or  writing 
when  the  occasion  came,  doing  them  kindnesses  when  it  was  in 
his  power,  or,  what  is  still  more  difficult,  not  hesitating  to  ask  a 
kindness  from  them  if  it  was  needed  ;  completely  ignoring  their 
coolness.  And  the  time  always  came  when  his  Christian  for- 
bearance was  rewarded  :  all  resentment  faded  away,  friendly 
relations  were  re-established  without  any  of  those  explanations 
and  apologies  which  are  often  humiliating,  and  always  make  it 
more  difficult  for  people  to  forget  the  past;  and  those  were  made 
firm  friends  who,  if  left  to  themselves,  might  have  been  life-long 
enemies. 

There  never  was  a  person  of  more  generous  spirit,  never  one 
who,  when  he  had  occasion  to  forgive,  forgave  more  thoroughly. 
He  never  reminded  others  that  if  they  had  taken  advice  or  been 
less  obstinate,  perplexities  and  annoyances  would  not  have 
arisen;  he  never  used  the  vexing  phrase,  "I  told  you  so." 

Even  when  he  had  occasion  to  administer  reproof  or  to  make 
a  criticism,  the  same  gentleness  and  tact  Avere  exercised.  After, 
on  one  occasion,  listening  to  a  Candidate  for  Orders  who  read 
the  Church  Service  before  him  for  the  benefit  of  his  remarks, 
his  criticism  was  peculiarly  characteristic.     "I  must  apply  the 


GATHERED  FRAGMENTS.  345 

suggestion  to  my  own  reading  of  the  service  which  may  perhai>s 
be  true  of  yours.  If  I  should  say  anything,  it  is  that  our  read- 
ing lacks  life  and  animation." 

But  with  his  charity  was  mingled  a  strong  sense  of  justice, 
which  would  not  allow  him  weakly  to  advocate  the  remission  of 
well  merited  punishment.  He  could  punish  a  child  for  the  good 
of  the  child  J  he  could  advocate  the  punishment  of  a  criminal 
for  the  good  of  the  community.  This  is  shown  in  the  following 
extract  from  a  letter  written  in  1836. 

"On  the  subject  of  capital  punishments,  I  have  been  always 
inclined  to  favor  the  continuance  of  them,  in  the  case  of  those 
shocking  crimes  which  at  present  are  usually  so  visited.  Al- 
though imprisonment  in  solitude  for  the  remainder  of  our  days 
may  seem  to  you  and  me  quite  as  severe  a  punishment  in  reality 
as  death,  yet  I  doubt  whether  the  guilty  will  ever  be  as  much 
deterred  by  the  fear  of  it ;  and  if  it  were  generally  felt  to  be  as 
severe,  the  same  efforts  would  be  made  for  its  remission,  and 
the  same  remission  granted.  Besides,  it  seems  to  me  that  when 
such  numbers  die  daily,  under  the  visitation  of  Providence,  with- 
out any  such  special  guilt,  many  through  the  mere  effects  of  ac- 
cident or  imprudence ;  when  the  drunkard,  however  many  good 
qualities  he  may  possess,  yet  seals  his  death  by  his  excesses,  it  is 
rather  idle  to  indulge  in  so  much  sympathy  with  the  most  de- 
praved and  unnatural  of  criminals.  My  mind  is  settled  on  the 
main  question,  that  society  has  a  right  to  take  their  life ;  and  as 
to  the  opportunity  of  repentance,  they  have  more  and  longer 
warnings,  in  ejipectation  of  death,  than  the  majority  of  man- 
kind." 

He  was  considered  an  excellent  man  of  business,  perhaps  be- 
cause he  would  run  no  risks,  particularly  when  the  property  of 
others  was  put  in  his  hands  as  trustee,  but  sought  invest- 
ments that  were  safe  rather  than  those  which  might  for  a  time 
afford  a  larger  interest.  Apart  from  his  idea  that  this  is  the 
wisest  and  safest  course,  he  was  always  unwilling  to  have 
any  business  on  his  mind  which  would  create  anxiety  and  take 
off  his  thoughts  from  more  important  subjects.  He  was  very 
prompt  and  exact  in  all  such  matters,  never  allowing  the  smallest 
debt  to  remain.  He  has  been  known,  on  his  returning  from  his 
afternoon  round  of  visits  on  Saturday  evening,  and  finding  that 
some  article  of  clothing  had  been  sent  home,  at  once  to  retrace 
his  steps  and  pay  for  it,  not  willing  to  let  the  Sunday  find  him  in 


346  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

debt,  or  to  wear  anything  that  was  not  paid  for.  Every  payment 
was  immediately  recorded  in  his  account  book,  and  at  the  end 
of  each  month  his  accounts  were  balanced.  This  care  pre- 
vented him  from  at  any  time  living  beyond  his  income,  and 
enabled  him  to  see  whether  his  charities  had  borne  a  fair  pro- 
portion to  his  other  expenses.  He  never  limited  his  gifts  to  a 
tenth  of  his  income,  but  having  made  sure  of  that  amount,  he 
added  to  it  all  that  could  be  spared  from  other  expenses.  While 
a  single  man,  his  salary  exceeded  his  expenses,  and  living  as 
he  then  did  in  a  wealthy  community  where  there  were  not 
many  demands  upon  him,  he  almost  necessarily  laid  by  a 
few  thousand  dollars.  Feeling  unwilling,  as  he  said,  to  make 
money  out  of  the  Church,  upon  going  to  Maine  he  bequeathed 
this  sum  to  the  Diocese.  Before  he  died,  he  had  already  given 
this  amount  over  and  over  to  the  Church,  not  only  by  accepting 
a  salary  much  less  than  his  expenses,  but  by  direct  donations  \ 
he  yet  seemed  to  regard  that  bequest  as  not  to  be  retracted. 
In  justice  to  the  Diocese  and  his  Parish,  it  should  be  stated  that 
attempts  were  sometimes  made  to  increase  his  salary,  but  he 
always  said  that  as  long  as  God  had  given  him  enough  to  re- 
lieve his  mind  from  anxiety,  he  thought  he  ought  not  to  lay  up 
any  more,  and  it  did  not  seem  to  him  right  to  require  an  effort 
to  be  made  by  others  in  order  to  enable  him  to  increase  his 
gifts.  The  same  prudence  was  exhibited  in  all  business  matters 
which  were  in  any  manner  intrusted  to  him. 

In  the  missionary  operations  of  the  Diocese,  he  was  resolute 
that  no  obligations  should  be  incurred  which  could  not  be  punc- 
tually met.  Possibly  this  prudence  prevented  some  enterprises 
from  being  undertaken  which  might  have  proved  successful,  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  Church  never  heard  the  cry  from  this 
Diocese,  that  its  missionaries  were  suffering  because  their  salaries 
were  in  arrears. 

The  anxiety,  with  which  he  watched  over  the  Missionary  Trea- 
sury, is  shown  in  such  passages  as  the  following,  which  are  often 
found  in  his  letters. 

"  The  entire  amount  which  will  be  required  to  meet  the  appro- 
priations of  the  Board  will  be  about  $1700.  The  portion  which 
may  be  received  from  without  the  Diocese  is  entirely  uncertain, 


GATHERED  FRAGMENTS.  347 

but  without  special  solicitations  it  will  hardly  exceed  ^300,  and 
I  think  that  it  will  be  less.  You  see  about  what  amount  it  will 
be  necessary  for  us  to  raise,  and  if  there  be  first  a  willing  mind, 
I  think  that  we  shall  be  able  to  do  it  without  any  sense  of  exces- 
sive exertion  or  self-denial." — Nov.  28,  1855. 

"Our  Missionary  Treasury  is,  as  is  usual  at  this  season,  ex- 
hausted, and,  under  the  great  pressure  of  the  times,  when  so  few 
tenants  pay  their  rents,  Mr.  Gardiner  does  not  find  it  so  con- 
venient as  usual  to  make  advances.  I  have  made  some,  and  the 
deficiency  for  the  present  is  small,  but  it  will  be  exceedingly 
desirable,  wherever  the  collections  can  be  early  commenced, 
that  they  should  not  be  delayed,  lest  any  of  our  faithful  fellow- 
laborers  should  at  anytime  be  exposed  to  serious  inconvenience, 
and  we  should  lose  that  honor,  which  till  now  has  been  main- 
tained, of  punctual  payment  to  all  missionaries  of  the  Diocese." 
—Nov.  9,  1857. 

His  exact  habit  of  mind  showed  itself  in  little  things,  such  as 
the  fact  that  he  never  abbreviated  words  in  writing,  seldom  even 
the  name  of  the  month  in  dating  letters  or  his  journal. 

He  was  very  orderly  in  his  habits,  having  a  place  for  every- 
thing, and  generally  putting  everything  in  its  place  as  soon  as 
used.  Those  who  saw  his  study  table,  heaped  up  with  books 
and  papers,  probably  did  not  give  him  credit  for  this  trait,  but 
to  him  it  was  not  disorder,  for  a  different  part  of  the  table  was 
assigned  to  each  class  of  pamphlets  or  papers,  so  that  when  he 
needed  one  he  was  seldom  at  a  loss. 

One  who  knew  him  well,  bears  this  testimony  to  the  Bishop's 
"  remarkable  promptness  in  meeting  all  his  engagements." 

"  This  was  seen  in  every  public  service.  He  lost  no  time,  and 
kept  no  one  waiting  for  his  arrival.  At  every  service  in  the 
church,  every  lecture  in  the  chapel,  every  marriage  ceremony, 
every  funeral,  in  short,  at  every  place  where  he  had  a  duty 
to  perform,  he  was  found  at  the  time  appointed.  He  needed 
not  to  apologize  for  being  tardy,  on  account  of  the  distance,  as 
he  always  started  in  time.  He  may  have  seemed  in  haste  in 
private,  but  never  in  public. 

We  never  found  him  out  of  his  study  when  we  went  there  to 
recite.  If  he  was  obliged  to  be  away  he  sent  us  word.  And 
all  this  trouble  was  a  labor  of  love :  he  received  no  compensa- 
tion. All  his  time  was  preoccupied  and  he  kept  his  engage- 
ments with  himself,  as  with  others,  promptly.  This  is  one  of 
the  secrets  of  the  immense  amount  of  work  he  was  able  to  per- 


348  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

form.     Order,  punctuality,  and    industry  were  prominent  traits 
in  his  character." 

And  again  to  his  industry. 

"The  Bishop  was  one  of  the  most  industrious  of  men.  This 
is  shown  by  his  success  as  a  parish  priest  and  as  a  Bishop, 
by  his  extensive  and  varied  learning,  and  by  the  immense 
amount  of  his  writings,  published  and  unpublished. 

I  remember  calling  on  him  one  evening,  by  appointment, 
about  five  minutes  before  the  time.  He  came  down  from  his 
study^to  meet  me,  but  immediately  excused  himself  '  for  a  mo- 
ment or  two,'  and  went  back  again.  He  soon  returned,  saying: 
'  I  feel  better  now :   I  have  finished  my  work  for  the  day.' 

He  seemed  to  be  occupied  every  moment  in  labor  or  in  rest, 
and  each  fitted  him  for  the  other.  Any  one  who  knew  the  Bishop 
will  understand  the  last  sentence.  In  his  life  there  was  no  vacant 
time.  Method  characterized  all  he  did,  and  untiring  industry 
made  his  method  valuable." 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  mention  his  manner  of  writing  sermons. 
Though  he  could  and  did,  on  an  emergency,  write  a  sermon  in  a 
day,  he  never  postponed  this  duty  to  the  end  of  the  week,  trust- 
ing that  the  inspiration  and  the  time  needed  would  then  be  at 
his  command.  He  regularly  commenced  a  sermon  on  Monday 
morning,  writing  one-third  of  it  each  day,  and  completing  it  on 
Wednesday.  On  Thursday,  the  second  was  commenced,  and 
the  necessary  number  of  pages  Avritten  each  day  to  bring  him  to 
the  last  page  on  Saturday.  If  other  engagements  crowded  upon 
him  during  the  day,  he  would  not  let  its  work  be  added  to 
that  of  to-morrow,  but  sat  up  later  in  the  evening,  not  feeling 
that  his  work  was  done  till  the  task  he  had  assigned  to  himself 
was  completed. 

But  with  all  his  system  and  punctuality,  he  was  very  far  from 
being  rigid  or  unbending.  He  was  remarkable  for  what  he 
called  "elasticity;"  by  which  he  meant  a  readiness  to  change 
his  plans  when  a  change  seemed  desirable. 

His  fellow-laborers  will  remember  that  this  elasticity  was  often 
shown  in  arranging  the  various  meetings  which  called  together 
the  clergy  of  the  Diocese.  While  a  Presbyter  in  Connecticut, 
he  was  strictly  rubrical  and  obeyed  faithfully  all  the  rules  laid 
down  by  the  Church.     But  after  his  removal  to  a  diocese  where 


GATHERED  FRAGMENTS.  349 

the  clergy,  when  they  met  together,  came  from  long  distances, 
by  modes  of  travel  often  inconvenient  and  sometimes  dangerous, 
and  congregations  were  to  be  gathered  from  scattered  neighbor- 
hoods, he  learned  that  it  was  necessary  at  times  to  relax,  and, 
in  appointing  special  services,  to  have  more  regard  to  the  state 
of  the  roads  or  the  period  of  the  moon  than  to  the  ecclesiastical 
season.  He  did  not  undervalue  order,  but  he  applied  to  the 
Church  our  Saviour's  rule  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  believing 
that  the  Church  was  made  for  man,  not  man  for  the  Church. 

He  always  wished  for  the  same  elasticity  in  all  family  arrange- 
ments ;  to  rise,  or  retire,  or  have  his  meals,  at  any  hour  which 
for  the  time  was  most  for  the  general  convenience.  He  could 
not  endure  to  see  children  brought  under  strict  rules,  except 
where  there  was  really  a  right  and  a  wrong  side,  saying  that  a 
family  ought  not  to  be  under  as  strict  discipline  as  a  man-of-war. 
Yet  when  absent  from  his  own  home,  he  always  scrupulously 
conformed  to  the  hours  of  the  family  with  which  he  was  a  guest. 
He  retired  at  a  late  hour,  his  usual  rule  being  to  write  until 
twelve  o'clock,  and  then  begin  his  preparations  for  the  night, 
but  he  rose  early,  in  summer  generally  at  six,  and  in  winter  at 
seven.  His  late  breakfast  tmie  has  given  a  different  impression, 
but  he  always  required  at  least  an  hour  for  the  deliberate  per- 
formance of  all  his  morning  duties  before  leaving  his  room. 

While  the  Bishop  was  no  ascetic,  enjoying  what  was  set  before 
him  and  asking  no  questions  for  conscience'  sake,  it  is  right  to 
state  that  he  was  habitually  abstemious.  While  he  did  not  con- 
sider it  a  sin  to  partake  of  a  glass  of  wine,  and  was  very  far  from 
condemning  his  brethren  whose  practice  differed  from  his  own, 
it  is  believed  that  from  the  time  of  his  consecration  he  never 
drank  wine  except  at  the  communion  or  when  it  was  found 
necessary  for  sanitary  reasons.  Every  clause  of  St.  Paul's  des- 
cription of  a  godly  bishop  in  his  Epistle  to  Titus,  might  be  used 
to  describe  Bishop  Burgess. 

To  those  who  never  saw  him  in  his  family,  it  would  not  per- 
haps be  easy  to  convey  an  idea  of  his  gentleness,  his  forgetful- 
ness  of  self,  his  affectionate  watchfulness  over  the  comfort  and 
happiness  of  every  member  of  the  household. 

He  treated  women  with  a  degree  of  respectful  attention  worthy 


35 o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

of  the  days  of  chivalry.  He  much  preferred  serving  them  to 
being  served  by  them,  and  when  wood  fires  were  used,  would 
bring  in  the  wood  himself,  rather  than  require  it  to  be  done 
by  a  female  servant. 

He  considered  no  work  that  was  necessary  beneath  his  dignity, 
and  he  has  even,  on  an  emergency,  blacked  the  boots  of  an 
unsuspecting  guest. 

He  avoided  all  too  strong  expressions,  giving  such  advice  as 
this  to  the  young  :  "  Do  not  indulge  in  a  habit  of  using  extrava- 
gant expressions  ;  it  will  injure  your  truthfulness  of  character." 
While  he  was  always  bright  and  cheerful,  and  willing  to  en- 
courage innocent  amusement  and  enter  into  it,  he  deprecated 
the  habit  of  turning  everything  into  ridicule  and  not  taking  suffi- 
ciently earnest  and  serious  views  of  life  and  its  duties.  Espe- 
cially did  he  discourage  the  practice  of  laughing  at  the  weakness 
or  the  follies  of  our  fellow  creatures,  instead  of  seeking  to  find 
in  them  something  to  respect  and  love. 

Bishop  Burgess  was  affectionate  in  his  disposition  and  strong 
in  his  affections,  and  he  was  never  ashamed  to  express  them  in 
words.  Yet  so  far  was  he  from  giving  indiscriminate  praise,  that 
when  such  words  as  the  following,  with  which  he  closed  a  letter 
to  the  Hon.  R.  H.  Gardiner,  were  written,  his  friends  knew  that 
they  meant  something,  and  valued  them  accordingly. 

The  passage  is  quoted  not  only  to  show  with  what  delicate 
touches  the  Bishop  could  paint  his  own  friendly  feelings,  but  as 
a  just  tribute  to  his  departed  friend. 

"  I  remember  with  thankfulness  the  approach  of  your  birth- 
day, and  the  mercy  which  has  preserved  you  to  us  since  the  time 
when  that  day  found  you  in  a  sick  chamber.  It  is  not  often  pos- 
sible, in  the  ordinary  course  of  life,  and  face  to  face,  to  express 
the  personal  reverence  and  gratitude  which  may  be  very  deep  in 
the  heart.  That  which  I  feel  when  I  think  of  the  past  fifteen 
years  in  connection  with  your  character,  example,  and  influence, 
I  would  wish  to  show  by  increasing  fidelity,  through  God's  grace, 
in  the  use  of  my  own  talent  in  my  own  sphere.  It  is  something, 
for  the  eff'ect  of  which  upon  myself  I  ought  to  expect  that  I  shall 
be  accountable,  as  for  so  many  other  means  of  improvement  and 
gifts  of  grace." 

He  never  thought  himself  too  old  to  learn,  or  to  adopt  better 


GATHERED  FRAGMENTS.  35 1 

habits  of  any  kind.  As  an  instance,  his  handwriting  may  be 
mentioned.  At  one  period  of  his  life  this  was  often  difficult  to 
decipher,  particularly  when  it  was  much  corrected  and  inter- 
lined. In  his  latter  years  he  determined  to  conquer  this  fault, 
and  much  of  his  later  writing  is  remarkably  distinct,  the  letters 
being  formed  almost  like  print.  When  practising  a  more  dis- 
tinct hand,  he  sometimes  went  so  far  as  to  rule  his  sermon  paper 
a  little  above  the  blue  lines,  taking  care  that  each  letter  should 
be  of  the  same  height,  and  when  he  had  thus  written  a  fair, 
legible  page,  he  would  show  it  with  an  almost  childlike  delight 
in  his  success. 

Perhaps  it  was  because  he  felt  so  strongly  the  uncertainty  of 
life,  that  he  disliked  to  look  forward  and  plan  much  for  the  time 
to  come.  He  said  it  was  much  pleasanter  for  him,  and  he  thought 
more  profitable  also,  to  dwell  on  the  memories  of  the  past  than 
on  anticipations  of  the  future. 

A  few  words  may  be  allowed  on  the  subject  of  the  Bishop's 
personal  appearance.  While  it  is  freely  admitted  that  in  his 
boyhood  and  youth  he  could  not  be  considered  handsome,  when 
he  attained  to  manhood  he  is  represented  as  strikingly  interest- 
ing in  appearance.  He  was  tall  and  slender,  and  his  face  bore 
the  impress  of  intellect  and  religion.  Both  at  this  period,  and 
more  and  more  as  he  advanced  in  life,  there  was  that  in  his 
countenance  which  made  men  "take  knowledge  of  him  that  he 
had  been  with  Jesus."  It  was  that  which  made  a  servant  who 
admitted  him  to  the  house  of  a  parishioner,  say :  "He  looks 
like  an  angel ;  he  looks  half  in  heaven  already."  It  has  been 
said  that  youthful  beauty  will  not  remain  until  mature  age,  unless 
the  mind  is  kept  chiselling  at  the  features.  Not  only  was  this 
chisel  always  at  work  on  his  face,  but  it  was  irradiated  with  the 
beauty  of  holiness.  This  was  a  kind  of  beauty  that  grew  with 
his  years,  and  as  his  figure  developed  and  attained  dignity,  his 
own  description  of  Bishop  Brownell  may  be  used  to  describe 
himself. 

"A  manly  stature,  an  attractive  person,  a  noble  aspect  and 
voice,  were  easily  united  with  a  dignified  bearing,  a  kindly  man- 
ner, and  a  graceful  elocution.  The  mind,  corresponding  with 
the  outward  frame,  uttered  itself  in  calm  and  lucid  thought,  in 
harmonious  sentences,  and  in  perspicuous  arguments." 


35  2  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Perhaps  the  word  noble  does  not  describe  Bishop  Burgess' 
voice  so  well  as  the  word  sweet.  Indeed  it  was  remarkably 
sweet,  and  his  tones  in  reading  a  hymn  were  often  more  musical 
than  the  singing  which  followed.  His  utterances,  which  were 
seldom  very  loud,  were  so  clear,  that  their  lowest  tones  were 
distinctly  heard  even  in  the  distant  parts  of  a  large  church. 

Bishop  Burgess  was  distinguished  for  his  courtesy  towards  all, 
for  that  politeness  which  is  a  Christian  grace,  springing  from 
entire  freedom  from  selfishness.  Bearing  about  him  continually 
the  sweetness  of  the  mind  of  Christ,  growing,  day  by  day,  more 
like  his  Master,  he  always  thought  of  others  rather  than  of 
himself,  and  by  constant  kind  offices  sought  to  add  to  their 
happiness.  If  the  trivial,  every-day  kindnesses  received  from 
him  were  sometimes  offered  at  the  cost  of  some  discomfort  to 
himself,  he  did  not  seem  to  know  it.  If  greater  efforts  were 
needed  and  a  small  addition  to  the  conxfort  of  another  could 
only  be  secured  by  a  considerable  sacrifice  of  his  own  conveni- 
ence, still  it  was  made,  and  so  quietly,  so  pleasantly,  that  the 
recipient  of  the  favor  never  suspected  that  he  had  given  any 
trouble. 

Perhaps  some  reader  may  ask,  had  Bishop  Burgess  no  faults, 
no  weaknesses,  no  temptations  ?  He  has  said  that  his  greatest 
trial,  his  besetting  sin,  was  an  impatient  temper.  That  those 
members  of  his  own  family  who  were  younger  than  himself  never 
saw  this  impatience  exhibited,  and  are  inclined  to  doubt  its  ex- 
istence, only  shows  how  early  and  how  completely,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  he  acquired  self-control.  That  he  was  not  only  con- 
scious of  it  in  early  childhood,  but  found  it  necessary,  almost  to 
the  end  of  life,  to  watch  and  pray  and  guard  himself,  we  have 
his  own  word.  That  few  suspected  this  trait  proves  that  the 
victory  was  complete,  and  may  encourage  others  who  are  tried 
in  the  same  way,  to  seek  the  same  help  which  enabled  him  to 
overcome. 

That  he  was  not  allowed  to  escape  all  temptation  is  shown  by 
the  following  incidents.  He  was  once  asked  if  he  was  ever 
tempted  to  doubt  the  truth  of  the  Gospel  and  the  reality  of  the 
Christian  religion?   "O,  yes,"  he  said.    "  What  is  your  remedy?" 


GATHERED  ERAGMENTS.  353 

was  the  next  question.  "  I  say,  'Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan,'  for 
I  know  it  is  a  temptation  of  the  devil." 

Precisely  in  the  same  strain  was  his  reply  to  one  who  was  re- 
citing Hebrew  to  him.  They  were  reading  the  book  of  Job. 
At  the  close  of  the  recitation,  the  young  man  said  to  him,  "I 
can't  realize  the  existence  and  the  temptations  of  the  devil  as  Job 
seems  to  have  done."  With  a  significant  gesture,  the  Bishop 
said,  "I  think  /do." 

In  conclusion,  we  must  once  more  be  permitted  to  quote  from 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Bartlet. 

''  Although  Bishop  Burgess  has  taken  an  enviable  place  among 
American  scholars,  yet  his  merits  in  this  respect  are  thrown  far 
into  the  shade  by  his  other  qualities.  It  may  be  safely  said,  that 
in  the  qualities  that  go  to  make  up  that  highest  type  of  manhood, 
the  Christian  gentleman.  Bishop  Burgess  had  no  superiors,  and 
but  few  who  can  be  allowed  to  be  his  equals. 

In  speaking  briefly  of  one  who  has  honored  us  with  his  friend- 
ship for  nearly  twenty  years,  we  feel  that  the  plainest  record  of 
his  worth  will  almost  seem  exaggeration  to  others.  From  the 
cynical  Pope  was  forced  the  tribute  : — 

'  To  Berkeley  every  virtue  under  heaven!' 

This  line  might  be  applied  literally  to  one  who  held  a  like  eccle- 
siastical rank  with  the  Bishop  of  Cloyne.  It  may  be  said  that  in 
every  relation  of  life  the  subject  of  our  notice  was  without  re- 
proach. A  character  so  full  and  rounded  as  his  is  hard  to  de- 
lineate. 

During  the  wonderful  march  of  the  Israelites  in  the  desert, 
there  was  made  a  breast-plate  for  the  High  Priest.  The  Al- 
mighty prescribed  the  form,  the  size,  the  materials  of  this  orna- 
ment. The  gems  which  composed  it  were  of  the  richest  value. 
Each  of  them,  even  when  viewed  separately,  gave  delight  to  the 
beholder.  There  was  the  emerald,  so  suggestive  of  coolness 
and  the  verdure  with  which  nature  clothes  herself  in  early  sum- 
mer;  the  sapphire,  symbolizing  the  'upper  deep;'  and  the 
diamond  the  very  type  of  perfection  and  unending  duration. 
But  it  was  only  when  the  twelve  were  arranged  together  in  the 
commanded  order  by  the  cunning  skill  of  the  workman,  that  a 
full  idea  could  be  obtained  of  the  completeness,  power,  integrity, 
and  affection  for  others  which  the  Urim  and  Thummim  were 
designed  to  symbolize.  And  so  with  the  character  of  him,  a 
faint  idea  of  whom  we  are  trying  to  convey  to  those  who  had 
not  the  privilege  of  his  acquaintance.  His  noble  and  excellent 
23 


354  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

qualities  should  have  been  viewed  as  they  were  combined  in  him, 
to  get  a  true  idea  of  a  true  man.  They  who  knew  him  the  most 
intimately,  had  the  most  profound  esteem  for  the  qualities  of  his 
head  and  heart." 


XLIX. 

THE   BISHOP'S  HEALTH. 

The  expression  "iron  constitution"  has  often  been  used  when 
speaking  of  Bishop  Burgess  and  his  labors,  but  those,  who  saw 
him  frequently,  are  more  ready  to  attribute  his  constant  labori- 
ousness  to  his  iron  will  rather  than  to  his  iron  constitution. 

While  he  was  not  a  person  of  very  robust  constitution,  he  was 
rarely  confined  by  sickness.  One  who  had  with  him  an  ac- 
quaintance of  nearly  thirty  years,  remembers  but  one  occasion 
when  he  was  prevented  from'performing  his  regular  duties,  being, 
at  the  time  referred  to,  ill  for  several  weeks  with  a  fever.  And 
yet  he  has  said  that  if  he  had  listened  to  the  advice  of  friends, 
he  would  have  spent  half  his  life  in  idleness,  seeking  more 
strength  for  the  work  of  the  other  half. 

For  many  years  his  illnesses  were  of  a  nervous  character,  and 
.  he  was  much  troubled  with  a  rush  of  blood  to  the  head,  particu- 
larly while  preaching,  raising  serious  apprehensions  in  the  minds 
of  his  friends,  and  leading  him  to  dwell  much  on  the  thought 
of  sudden  death,  to  which  he  looked  forward.  During  his  last 
illness,  when  he  first  realized  that  his  lungs  were  affected,  he  re- 
marked that  perhaps  it  had  saved  him  from  something  worse, 
for  in  former  years  he  had  apprehended  death  by  apoplexy. 
After  his  removal  to  Maine,  though  his  duties  were  increased 
they  were  more  varied,  and  the  necessity  for  frequent  journeys 
had  a  decidedly  beneficial  effect,  so  that  he  was  almost  entirely 
relieved  from  his  nervous  troubles,  and  he  said  that,  "all  other 
things  being  equal,  he  should  live  longer  in  Maine  than  he 
could  have  lived  in  Hartford."  As  there  was  no  consumption 
in  his  family,  and  he  could  speak  for  hours  without  fatigue,  he 
always  thought  his  lungs  the  strongest  part  of  his  system,  but, 
as  was  remarked  by  a  friend,  "no  lungs  could  bear  what  he 


THE  BISHOP'S  HEALTH.  355 

put  upon  his."  Yet  his  constant  exposure  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  subjected  him  to  many  colds,  and  among  his 
letters  are  notes  from  parishioners  in  Hartford,  urging  him  not 
to  preach  again  until  his  hoarseness  was  removed,  reminding 
him  that  his  voice  was  their  riches,  &c.  To  these  remonstrances 
he  never  listened,  but  preached  whenever  he  could  speak  loud 
enough  to  be  heard,  and  his  success  in  thus  wearing  off  or  work- 
ing off  colds,  encouraged  him  to  continue.  As  long  as  his  strength 
remained  and  he  had  no  cough,  he  could  not  believe  that  his 
hoarseness  in  any  way  differed  from  that  attending  former  colds, 
and  when,  at  last,  more  alarming  symptoms  appeared,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  pause,  it  was  too  late. 

The  letters,  which  passed  between  him  and  his  own  family, 
show  that  they  did  not  consider  him  as  rugged  as  he  thought 
himself.  In  one  from  his  oldest  brother,  a  fear  is  expressed 
that  he  is  "undertaking  too  much  for  a  person  of  not  very  vig- 
orous constitution;"  and  some  of  his  own  letters  are  evidently 
answers  to  the  expression  of  similar  anxieties. 

Hartford,  May  19,  1S40. 

"My  Dear  Sister:  As  you  desired  to  hear  from  me  at  an 
early  period,  I  will  write,  although  but  a  few  lines,  in  a  moment 
of  haste.  Since  I  saw  you,  I  have  not  been  at  any  time  as  much 
troubled  with  the  evils  of  which  we  spoke  as  when  you  were 
here  or  just  before.  I  preached  all  day  on  the  following  Sunday, 
and  at  the  request  of  Dr.  Jarvis,  exchanged  with  him  the  day 
before  yesterday.  At  Middletown,  I  preached  with  much  more 
ease  and  pleasure.  I  have  also  ridden  several  times  on  horse- 
back ;  and  I  am  expecting  to  go  out  and  spend  a  month  or  so 
v/ith  a  friend  three  miles  from  the  city,  coming  in  every  after- 
noon. So  you  perceive  that  your  advice  has  been  sufficiently 
followed ;  and  I  hope  the  effect  will  be  satisfactory  to  you  when, 
if  it  please  God,  I  see  you. 

In  the  meanwhile,  give  yourself  no  uneasiness,  and  say  as  little 
about  the  matter  as  may  be,  for,  as  long  as  a  person  can  have 
even  tolerable  health,  it  is  not  pleasant  to  be  the  cause  of  any 
solicitude  to  one's  friends.  All  is  in  the  wisest  hands  and  the 
best,  and  little  and  great  infirmities  are  equally  the  appointment 
of  our  gracious  God.  I  only  ask  to  know  my  duty,  and  to  be 
able  to  do  it,  in  all  things.. 

Give  my  love  to  all.  If  I  have  written  about  my  health,  it  is 
only  because  you  have  desired  it,  and  not  because  it  needs  the 
mention.  Ever  your  affectionate  brother." 


356  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

"  Hartford,  Saturday  evening,  Jan.  23,  1841  :  For  myself,  I 
am  now  in  very  good  health  ;  better  than  at  any  period  since  my 
confinement  in  the  summer.  The  attacks  of  indigestion  seem  to 
have  departed,  and  I  eat  and  drink  with  freedom.  A  conse- 
quence is,  the  firmer  establishment  of  the  nervous  system.  I 
have  adopted  one  plan  with  very  good  effect,  and  think  I  shall 
be  able  to  persevere  in  it.  This  is  to  make  Saturday  a  kind  of 
Sabbath,  that  is,  a  day  of  rest  from  labors,  completing  previ- 
ously my  sermons,  and  devoting  this  day  to  exercise,  recreation, 
and  the  society  of  intimate  friends." 

Unfortunately,  this  plan  was  soon  abandoned. 

"  Brattleboro',  July  8,  1841:  Do  not  suppose,  from  my 
absence  on  this  journey,  that  my  health  is  particularly  impaired. 
On  the  contrary,  it  is  good,  but  I  am  of  opinion  that  it  will  be 
strengthened  by  such  recreation,  and  I  could  hardly  satisfy 
my  affectionate  parishioners  without  considerable  absence  this 
summer,  as  they  have  the  impression,  whether  right  or  wrong, 
that  my  duties  have  somewhat  worn  upon  me." 

"Hartford,  July  17,  1843:  Your  anxiety  for  my  health 
when  you  were  "here  might,  I  imagine,  have  been  relieved,  if 
you  had  remembered  that  the  occasion  was  one  of  some  feeling, 
and  that  I  had  risen  very  early  that  morning  and  had  not  break- 
fasted. All  this  might  explain  a  little  paleness.  In  any  event 
I  was,  and  am,  in  a  very  good  state  of  health ;  but  I  hardly  ex- 
pect that  I  shall  ever  have  the  yeomanlike  muscle  of ." 

These  letters  show  an  unwillingness,  which  seemed  to  increase 
with  years,  to  say  much  about  his  health.  This  sensitiveness 
evidently  did  not  arise  from  a  dread  of  death,  or  from  an  in- 
disposition to  think  of  his  latter  end.  It  seemed  to  be  owing  in 
part  to  shrinking  from  making  himself  in  any  way  the  subject  of 
discussion,  and  in  part  to  the  fear  that  his  friends  in  their  affec- 
tionate anxiety  for  him  would  insist  upon  more  rest  than  he  be- 
lieved necessary.  He  always  thought  that  change  of  work  was 
as  beneficial  as  entire  recreation,  and  refused  the  summer  vaca- 
tions which  are  generally  so  thankfully  accepted  by  clergymen, 
and  which  perhaps  might  have  been  the  means  of  prolonging 
his  life.  When  settled  at  Hartford,  he  not  unfrequently  went 
home,  but  generally  limited  his  visits  to  three  days,  which  he 
said  gave  friends  time  to  say  all  that  was  to  be  said,  and  enabled 
him  to  return  to  his  parish  before  Sunday.  But  two  journeys 
are  remembered  which  he  took  solely  for  pleasure  ;  one  being 


THE  BISHOP'S  HEALTH.  357 

after  the  illness  before  referred  to,  when  he  went  to  the  White 
Mountains  on  horseback ;  the  other  being  on  the  occasion  of 
his  marriage.  When  called  by  duty  out  of  his  own  Diocese,  he 
frequently  would  spare  a  day  to  his  friends.  He  seldom  ex- 
tended his  journey  or  prolonged  his  absence  beyond  a  few  days. 
The  idea  of  leaving  home  for  a  mere  pleasure  excursion,  he 
seemed  unable  to  entertain.  Unless  called  away  by  more  urgent 
duties,  he  always  seemed  to  think  that  he  was  neglecting  his 
parish  when  absent;  and,  as  a  Bishop,  he  was  obliged  to  travel 
so  much,  that  he  thought  it  perfect  luxury  to  be  allowed  to 
stay  at  home,  and  said  that  he  could  not  comprehend  why 
people  wanted  to  go  away.  He  much  preferred  that  his  friends 
should  come  to  see  him. 

Though  so  unwilling  to  allow  that  he  ever  needed  indul- 
gence as  an  invalid,  there  are  many  signs  that  he  did  not  feel 
that  he  possessed  a  constitution  of  iron.  In  his  European  jour- 
nal, he  sometimes  refers  to  the  fact  that  his  health  had  improved 
since  he  left  home ;  and  in  his  birthday  prayers  and  meditations, 
he  often  expresses  surprise  that  his  life  has  been  prolonged  so 
much  beyond  the  period  which  he  anticipated.  In  deciding 
upon  the  acceptance  of  the  Episcopate  of  Maine,  he  placed 
among  the  reasons  against  it  the  question  whether  it  might  not 
be  for  the  advantage  of  the  Diocese  to  have  a  Bishop  of  more 
vigorous  constitution. 

On  the  Sunday  before  Christmas,  1862,  he  was  quite  hoarse 
when  he  arose  in  the  morning,  and  asked  a  Candidate  for  orders 
to  read  the  lessons,  intending  to  perform  the  remainder  of  the 
service  himself,  but  by  the  time  the  lessons  were  finished  his 
hoarseness  had  increased  so  rapidly,  that  he  was  obliged  to  allow 
the  lay  reader  to  complete  the  service.  This  attack  appeared  in 
no  way  different  from  his  other  colds,  and  in  a  few  days  the 
hoarseness  disappeared  and  he  supposed  himself  to  have  re- 
covered. But  to  others  who  had  the  opportunity  of  observing 
him  closely,  it  was  apparent  from  that  time  that  his  throat  was 
never  quite  well ;  there  always  appeared  to  be  a  slight  catarrhal 
difficulty,  a  filling  up  of  the  throat,  requiring  a  frequent  effort  to 
swallow.  Still,  there  was  nothing  to  excite  apprehension,  no- 
thing that  would  have  been  long  remembered,  but  for  what  fol- 


35 8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

lowed.  Two  years  afterwards,  the  Sunday  before  Christmas, 
1864,  the  same  thing  occurred.  He  was  attacked  by  hoarseness 
as  suddenly  as  before,  but  from  that  time  he  never  entirely  re- 
covered his  voice,  though  he  was  able  to  preach.  He  said  that 
it  gave  him  no  trouble  to  speak ;  while  to  others  it  sounded  as 
if  it  must  give  him  pain  ;  and  so  he  went  on  performing  all  his 
duties,  taking  only  the  ordinary  slight  remedies  for  a  cold,  and 
trusting  that  it  would  gradually  wear  off.  During  the  multiplied 
services  of  Lent,  he  looked  worn  and  ill  to  such  a  degree,  as 
to  excite  the  apprehensions  of  his  friends  and  parishioners ; 
but  to  all  their  remonstrances  he  had  but  one  answer,  that  he 
felt  perfectly  well  and  strong,  and  was  convinced  that  it  was  a 
mere  local  difficulty  which  would  soon  disappear. 

In  March  of  this  year  a  proposition  came  to  him  from  Bishop 
Lee,  of  Delaware,  to  visit  the  missionary  stations  in  the  island  of 
Hayti.  The  idea  seemed  very  pleasant  to  him,  and  he  remarked 
that,  perhaps,  such  a  journey  was  just  what  he  needed  to  re-esta- 
blish his  health. 

That  he  did  not  accede  to  the  proposal  was  owing,  not  to  any 
disinclination,  but  to  his  conviction  that  he  could  not  then  per- 
form the  necessary  duties.  As  usual,  he  put  himself,  his  own 
convenience  and  pleasure,  out  of  the  question,  and  considered 
only  the  interests  of  the  Church,  as  is  shown  by  his  letter  to 
Bishop  Lee. 

Gardiner,  March  15,  1865. 

"  My  Dear  Bishop:  I  have  been  seriously  weighing  your 
proposal,  not  without  prayer  to  be  guided  in  all  things  by  a 
better  wisdom  than  mine. 

There  would  be  some  rather  grave  difficulties  in  the  way, 
proceeding  from  the  necessity  of  supplying  my  parish  in  my 
absence,  at  a  time  when  it  is  so  hard  to  find  a  single  unemployed 
clergyman,  and  from  the  manner  in  which  I  should  be  obliged 
to  crowd  my  diocesan  visitations  after  my  return. 

Aside  from  this,  the  visit  would  have  for  me  considerable 
attractiveness ;  more  than  one  to  any  other  of  the  West  Indies. 

But  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  I  could  not  do  what  might  be 
expected.  I  could  and  would  inform  myself,  as  far  as  possible, 
of  the  actual  state  of  things,  and  of  the  prospect;  I  would  give 
all  counsel  and  assistance  in  my  power ;  but  I  fear  that  if  imme- 
diate ordination  were  desired,  I  could  not  comply,  unless  under 
the  advice  and  approbation  of  a  considerable  number  of  out 


THE  BISHOP'S  HEALTH.  359 

Bishops.  It  does  not  appear  to  me  that  any  one  can  l)e  ordained, 
under  our  Constitution  and  Canons,  as  a  deacon  or  priest  of 
our  Church,  without  testimonials,  the  action  of  a  Standing  Com- 
mittee, and  the  examination  of  two  Presbyters.  If  done  at  all, 
it  must  be  outside  of  the  Constitution  and  Canons;  and  this, 
though  it  seems  to  be  allowable,  yet  should  be  done  with  much 
deliberation  and  counsel,  and  not  on  the  responsibility  of  an 
individual  Bishop,  if  it  can  be  avoided.  Besides,  the  General 
Convention  is  not  far  off,  when  full  sanction  could  be  given 
beforehand  to  any  necessary  action.  Without  that  sanction,  I 
should  conceive  that  such  clergymen  would  have  towards  our 
Church  only  that  relation  which  they  might  consent  to  assume. 
It  would  seem  to  me  that  they  should  be  required,  before  ordi- 
nation, to  promise  conformity  to  the  doctrine  and  worship  of 
the  Church,  in  the  United  States,  so  far  as  might  be  permitted 
by  their  position,  until  the  Church  should  be  fully  organized  in 
Hayti,  and  should  have  adopted  a  Constitution  and  Canons  of 
its  own.  In  the  meantime,  if  any  such  ordinations  should  take 
place,  would  it  not  be  right  that  the  consent  of  a  considerable 
number  of  our  Bishops,  say  ten,  should  be  received,  before  the 
act?  Your  own,  that  of  Bishops  Chase  and  A.  Potter,  with  mine, 
all  already  given,  would  be  four.  Whether  there  is  a  sufficiently 
urgent  need  for  any  immediate  action  to  justify  such  a  request, 
you  can  judge  much  better  perhaps  than  any  one  else.  I  must 
refer  this  question  to  you  ;  as  also,  whether  this  need  is  sufficient 
to  demand  from  me  an  absence  which  might  cause  some  incon- 
venience to  my  parish ;  and  whether  it  would  authorize  and  in- 
duce the  Church  Missionary  Society  to  defray  the  expenses, 
with  such  an  addition  as  would  enable  me  to  supply  my  pulpit 
in  my  absence. 

In  every  point  of  doubt,  I  should  wish  the  balance  to  turn 
against  the  visit,  so  that,  unless  a  strong  and  clear  case  be 
made  out,  I  may  be  regarded  as  declining.  But  if  it  should  be 
plainly  the  duty  of  some  one  to  go,  and  I  can  but  make  adequate 
arrangements  for  my  charge,  I  will  not  refuse. 

The  time,  I  am  aware,  is  short  for  any  further  deliberation  or 
consultation,  but  I  could  not  well  be  more  prompt  or  decisive, 
in  a  matter  of  so  much  possible  importance. 
I  am,  my  dear  Bishop, 

Very  affectionately  your  friend  and  brother." 

The  visit  to  Hayti,  w^hich  might  have  been  so  beneficial  to  his 
health,  was  not  made  at  that  time,  and  soon  a  slight  cough  being 
added  to  his  first  symptoms,  he  placed  himself  under  the  care  of 
a  physician ;  but  it  was  not  until  July  that  he  consented  to  avail 
himself  of  the  services  of  an  assistant,  and  take  the  rest  which 


360  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

all  felt  that  he  needed.  Even  then  his  consent  was  given,  less 
from  a  conviction  that  rest  was  necessary,  than  because  he  was 
weary  of  resistance,  and  thought  it  right  so  far  to  satisfy  his 
anxious  friends. 

From  this  time  onward,  the  two  subjects,  the  work  he  accom- 
plished, and  the  state  of  his  health,  must  be  considered  together, 
for  though  health  and  life  were  failing,  his  labors  did  not  cease. 

It  was  evidently  a  great  sacrifice  for  him  to  leave  his  duties  in 
the  hands  of  another,  and  condemn  himself  to  idleness,  but  he 
always  made  his  sacrifices  cheerfully,  and  having  decided  that 
he  must  leave  home,  he  said  he  intended  to  enjoy  himself  as 
much  as  possible.  Immediately  after  the  Convention,  which 
met  in  Portland  in  July,  1865,  at  which  he  delivered  a  Charge, 
reading  it  with  his  own  voice,  instead  of  returning  home,  he 
went  to  the  White  Mountains,  where  he  spent  three  weeks.  He 
returned  home  invigorated  and  refreshed,  and,  as  he  believed, 
better,  but  the  hoarseness  remained.  He  afterwards  made  visits 
to  Bristol,  Newport,  and  Nantucket,  and  thought  that  the  sea 
air  was  more  beneficial  than  mountain  air.  At  intervals,  he  re- 
turned home  and  performed  such  duties  as  were  permitted. 
Early  in  September,  he  went  to  Eastport  to  attend  a  meeting  of 
the  Board  of  Missions,  and  immediately  afterwards  left  home 
again,  and  spent  three  weeks  delightfully  in  visits  to  friends  on 
the  Hudson  River,  abstaining  entirely  from  public  speaking,  and 
taking  the  remedies  prescribed  by  his  physician.  On  the  first 
of  October,  he  went  to  the  meeting  of  the  General  Conven- 
tion at  Philadelphia.  Some  objection  had  been  made  by  his 
friends  to  his  attending  this  Convention,  but  the  suggestion  af- 
fected him  so  much,  that  his  physician  said  it  would  probably 
injure  him  less  to  go  than  to  remain  absent.  While  there,  he 
did  not  preach,  but  on  two  occasions  he  made  short  addresses 
at  public  meetings,  and  he  took  his  part  in  all  business  and  dis- 
cussions. After  the  Convention  closed,  he  went  west  as  far  as 
Cleveland,  returning  east  by  way  of  Niagara.  Whether  he  took  ■ 
cold  on  the  journey,  or  showed  then  the  effects  of  his  labors 
during  the  Convention,  it  is  impossible  to  say,  but  from  the  time 
of  his  leaving  Philadelphia  his  hoarseness  increased. 

After  reaching   home,  the  suggestion  was   renewed  that  he 


THE  BISHOP'S  HE  A  L  TIL  3  6 1 

should  spend  the  winter  in  a  warmer  climate.  At  first  he  resisted 
it  strenuously,  but  in  November  a  hemorrhage  occurred,  and  he 
was  convinced  that  he  must  yield  to  the  advice  of  physicians  and 
friends.  While  hesitating  about  his  route,  the  request  to  which 
the  following  letter  addressed  to  Bishop  Lee  of  Delaware  alludes, 
reached  him  from  the  Foreign  Committee,  and  assisted  him  in 
deciding  upon  his  course. 

Gardiner,  December  2,  1865. 

"  My  Dear  Bishop  :  I  have  now  received  the  direct  request 
of  the  Foreign  Committee  that  I  would  visit  Hayti.  It  was  well 
that  it  came  no  sooner,  for,  under  the  apprehension  that  my 
hoarseness,  which  had  been  worse  since  I  was  at  Philadelphia, 
might  make  it  actually  impossible  for  me  to  speak  much  and 
with  efficiency,  I  had  almost  concluded  to  decline  the  trust  and 
spend  the  waiter  in  some  southern  part  of  our  own  country. 
Recently,  however,  I  have  been  so  much  encouraged  by  the 
improvement  of  my  voice,  as  to  have  little  doubt  that  I  shall  be 
able,  with  God's  blessing,  to  meet,  in  that  respect,  the  requisi- 
tions of  this  work.  I  have  therefore  accepted  it,  subject  to  all 
providential  contingencies,  especially  such  as  may  affect  my 
health.  It  is  my  wish  to  go  to  several  of  the  islands  of  the  West 
Indies,  in  the  hope  that,  through  the  blessing  of  God,  I  may 
derive  thorough  and  permanent  improvement. 

I  shall  therefore  acquiesce  in  your  proposed  application  to 
the  presiding  Bishop  to  transfer  the  temporary  jurisdiction  from 
you  to  me. 

Asking  your  prayers  for  that  fulness  of  the  grace  of  Christ, 
without  which  I  can  neither  be  myself  sustained,  nor  be  an  in- 
strument of  good  to  others,  I  am,  my  dear  Bishop, 

Affectionately  yours." 

It  was  very  hard  for  him  to  decide  to  leave  his  parish  and 
Diocese  only  in  search  of  health,  but  when  he  found  that  he 
could  still  work  for  the  Church  during  his  absence,  the  sacrifice 
was  much  lightened. 

After  his  last  Diocesan  Convention,  in  July,  1865,  he  re- 
frained from  preaching  until  his  return  from  the  General  Con- 
vention, when  he  delivered  two  or  three  sermons  in  his  own 
parish.  At  the  request  of  the  rector  of  the  Church  at  Lewiston, 
he  made  an  appointment  to  visit  the  parish  on  the  19th  of  No- 
vember, leaving  it  uncertain  whether  he  would  preach.  On 
the  13th,  the  hemorrhage  already  mentioned  occurred.  On  the 
i6th  he  wrote  to  the  rector: — 


3^2  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

"  I  expect,  God  willing,  to  keep  my  appointment ;  but  I  write 
in  order  that  you  may  be  prepared  to  preach  at  both  services. 
For  some  special  reasons,  I  thinkthat  it  would  hardly  be  prudent 
for  me  to  tax  my  voice  on  that  day  to  the  extent  of  a  sermon. 
You  know  how  much  I  feel  and  regret  this  inability,  and  how 
gladly  I  would  save  you  the  trouble ;  but  I  must  be  thankful 
to  God  for  the  ability  to  perform  what  more  peculiarly  belongs 
to  the  episcopal  office,  and  be  more  than  content." 

On  Saturday  the  iSth  he  went  to  Lewiston,  and  that  night  he 
had  another  hemorrhage,  but  less  severe  than  that  of  Monday. 
Notwithstanding  this,  on  the  following  day  he  read  the  Decalogue 
and  concluding  prayers  and  benediction  in  the  morning,  and 
confirmed  eight  persons  in  the  afternoon,  making  the  usual  ad- 
dress.    This  was  his  last  confirmation  in  his  Diocese. 

He  did  not  attempt  to  preach,  though  he  always  took  some 
part  in  the  service  until  December  lo,  when  he  made  the  effort, 
in  order  to  pay  a  just  tribute  to  the  memory  of  one  who  had  died 
on  the  previous  day,  and  who  had  been  Vestryman,  Warden, 
and  Treasurer  of  the  Church,  and  for  many  years  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  School, 


LAST  MEETING  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS. 

For  this  section  the  editor  is  indebted  to  Rev.  Dr.  Ballard. 

"The  last  public  act  of  the  Bishop  in  his  Episcopal  office 
within  his  Diocese,  was  in  St.  Philip's  Church,  Wiscasset.  He 
had  appointed  the  13th  of  December  for  the  ordination  of  the 
Rev.  E.  A.  Bradley,  the  rector-elect  of  the  parish  in  that 
place,  to  the  priesthood.  He  left  home  on  the  previous  day, 
stopping,  as  was  his  custom  when  visiting  that  parish,  to  dine 
with  the  rector  of  the  Church  in  Brunswick,  both  in  going  and 
returning,  during  the  necessary  detention  of  waiting  for  the  cars. 
Though  bearing  the  plainest  indications  of  the  progress  of  his 
illness,  he  was  more  than  usually  cheerful,  and  walked  the  some- 
what long  distance  from  and  to  the  station  at  this  place  without 


LAST  MEETING  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS.       363 

apparent  fatigue.  The  latter  part  of  the  journey  for  ten 
miles  was  by  stage,  over  a  hilly  and,  at  that  season  of  the  year, 
rough  road,  made  the  more  uncomfortable  by  the  approach  of 
a  wintry  rain.  But  he  suffered  no  special  inconvenience,  as  had 
been  feared  by  his  anxious  friends;  though,  owing  to  the  state 
of  his  voice,  he  engaged  in  conversation  less  than  was  his  usual 
manner. 

He  was  able  to  be  present  at  the  services  on  the  evening  before 
the  ordination,  and  to  make  a  few  observations  on  a  historical 
point  in  the  sermon  preached  by  one  of  the  clergy,  and  to  com- 
mend the  argument  and  instruction  of  the  discourse  to  the  accept- 
ance of  the  congregation. 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  appointed  for  the  purpose  of  his 
visit,  he  superintended  the  examination  of  the  candidate,  and 
made  all  the  arrangements  for  the  approaching  solemnity.  His 
voice  had  become  much  less  clear  than  on  the  previous  day; 
and  he  deemed  it  prudent  to  assign  as  much  of  the  service  as 
was  allowable  to  one  of  the  clergy,  as  he  had  already  done  for 
the  first  time  in  his  Episcopate,  in  regard  to  the  sermon,  which 
was  delivered  by  the  first  rector  of  the  parish.  In  his  own  part 
of  the  office  he  spoke  with  difficulty,  awakening  the  fear  that  he 
would  be  unable  to  proceed  to  the  end.  But  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  determination  that  always  actuated  him  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  duty,  he  seemed  to  compel  his  vocal  powers  to 
obey  the  decisions  of  his  mind,  and  his  utterance  became  more 
easy  and  clear  till  the  service  was  completed.  The  change  that 
had  come  over  his  countenance  since  his  last  visit  to  this  Church 
was  very  marked  to  the  congregation ;  and  some  persons  in  the 
number  could  not  but  express  the  fear  that  death  had  already 
begun  his  fatal  work. 

In  the  afternoon  and  evening  of  the  same  day,  the  Board  of 
Missions  for  the  Diocese  held  its  meetings,  in  agreement  with 
the  previous  appointment,  at  which  the  Bishop  presided,  both  in 
its  private  and  public  sessions,  manifesting  his  usual  earnest  in- 
terest in  the  missionary  wants  and  work  of  the  Church,  in  that 
portion  assigned  to  his  oversight.  It  had  always  been  his  prac- 
tice on  the  latter  occasions,  after  the  devotional  services  were 
concluded,  to  make  an  address,  describing  the  purposes  and  needs 


364  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

of  the  Board,  and  his  hope  of  the  benefit  to  be  derived  from  the 
influence  of  these  stated  gatherings.  But  for  the  first  time,  he 
intrusted  this  introduction  to  the  expected  addresses  to  one  of 
the  clergy,  who  was  followed  by  others  of  his  brethren.  They 
spoke  of  the  means  and  motives  connected  with  the  successful 
carrying  forward  of  the  missionary  enterprise,  in  spreading  the 
truth  of  the  Redeemer,  and  in  the  enlargement  of  His  kingdom. 
The  Bishop  closed  this  meeting  of  the  Board  with  suitable  pray- 
ers and  the  benediction. 

After  the  congregation  had  retired,  the  members  gathered  be- 
fore the  chancel,  in  the  near  presence  of  the  Bishop,  to  attend 
to  a  few  matters  of  business  that  had  been  referred  to  this  last 
stage  of  the  meeting.  When  these  acts  had  received  their  proper 
disposal,  he  rose,  and  standing  at  the  rail,  called  the  attention 
of  the  members  to  '  the  fact  of  his  intended  departure  to  a 
warmer  climate,  in  accordance  with  medical  advice  and  the 
wishes  of  his  friends,  in  the  hope  of  a  partial,  if  not  an  entire, 
restoration  of  his  health.  His  expected  absence  would  be  about 
four  months.  He  should  not  go  from  his  home  merely  for  rest 
or  health,  but  mostly  for  missionary  work  in  one  of  the  West 
Indian  Islands.  During  this  interval,  at  a  season  when  he  was 
not  in  the  habit  of  visiting  their  parishes,  he  trusted  that  no 
special  disadvantage  would  occur  to  the  Diocese  ;  which,  for 
all  ordinary  purposes,  would  be  left  in  the  care  of  the  Standing 
Committee.  He  asked  their  affectionate  prayers  while  he  should 
be  away,  that  God  would  bless  him  with  such  a  portion  of  re- 
newed vigor  as  would  enable  him  to  resume  the  work  of  his 
office  in  the  Diocese,  where  so  large  a  part  of  his  life  had  been 
spent.  He  did  not  now  ask  the  public  prayers  of  the  Church 
for  the  return  of  his  health.  There  was  no  more  need  of  this 
request  now  than  there  had  been  for  some  time  past,  or  might 
be  for  some  time  to  come.  If,  however,  it  should  be  heard 
that  his  hope  of  improvement  in  this  particular  should  seem  to 
be  disappointed,  he  would  ask  to  be  remembered  in  the  public 
devotions  of  the  people.  His  own  wish  and  prayer  would  be, 
that  the  work  of  the  Church  might  go  on,  even  more  prosper- 
ously in  his  absence  than  it  had  in  his  presence.  A  painful  sense 
of  the  imperfection  of  his  past  work  came  upon  his  thoughts 


LAST  MEETING  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS.       365 

now  that  God  was  about  to  remove  him  from  it  for  a  time.  But 
his  prayer  and  sincere  trust  were,  that,  if  he  should  be  restored 
to  take  it  up  anew,  it  might  be  with  a  more  entire  feeling  of 
responsibility  and  devotion  to  the  service  of  his  Master.' 

The  members  of  the  Board  listened  to  these  parting  words  of 
their  beloved  father,  teacher,  and  friend,  with  the  most  earnest 
attention,  and  the  deepest  emotions  of  affectionate  and  ever  in- 
creasing regard.  It  was  thought  by  some  of  their  number  that 
he  intended  to  say  more  than  he  did,  but  was  prevented  from 
this  purpose  by  the  burden  of  his  unusual  emotions  at  the  mo- 
ment, though  the  cause  might  have  been  in  the  feebleness  of  his 
powers  to  give  utterance  to  more  of  these  parting  words.  He 
then,  with  outstretched  hands  and  husky  voice,  pronounced  his 
final  benediction  over  his  kneeling  brethren  ;  and  while  the 
hearts  of  all  were  fearful,  his  hopeful  courage  and  cheerful  smile 
would  not  allow  the  recipients  of  his  sacred  blessing  to  believe 
that  they  were  indeed  listening  to  his  words  in  the  temple  of  God 
for  the  last  time. 

At  these  meetings  of  the  Board  in  connection  with  the  public 
services  and  their  business,  he  had  always  instructed  and  edified 
by  his  conversation,  and  his  discussion  of  points  of  interest,  that 
were  continually  arising  when  the  members  were  together.  His 
appearance  in  these  colloquial  debates  showed  him  to  be  a 
seeker  of  the  truth ;  its  earnest  advocate  ;  and,  unbiassed  by 
party  spirit,  directing  its  application  for  the  welfare  of  men 
through  the  divinely  appointed  agencies.  Many  of  his  clear, 
compact,  and  forcible  sayings  are  remembered,  and  one  of 
them  may  be  here  added,  as  a  specimen  of  his  ability  to  give  an 
unexpected  turn  to  the  course  of  remark,  and  of  increasing  the 
impression  of  his  observations  by  the  directness  of  their  comple- 
tion. The  conversation  was  in  connection  with  this  meeting. 
While  on  his  way  thither,  one  of  the  clergy  cited  the  remark  of 
a  Congregationalist,  that  'Episcopalians  had  no  right  to  be  in 
New  England,  because  of  its  pre-occupancy  by  the  Puritans.' 
The  Bishop  replied :  'All  the  statements  they  may  make  about 
'  pre-occupancy'  and  '  right'  are  idle.  They  amount  to  nothing. 
The  real  question  lies  farther  back.  On  the  principle  assumed, 
the  Congregationalists  have  no  right  at  all  to  be  in  the  world  1' 


366  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

From  the  grave  manner  of  his  entrance  on  his  reply,  it  appeared 
that  he  was  about  to  go  largely  into  an  argument  in  defence  of 
the  position  held  by  the  Church.  The  contrast  between  the 
beginning  and  the  absolute  settling  of  the  whole  question  by  a 
few  telling  words  at  the  end,  was  so  very  marked,  that  his  an- 
swer caused  the  response  of  something  more  audible  than  a 
smile,  testifying  that  the  conclusion  was  received  as  unanswera- 
ble. 

This  meeting  of  the  Board  was  the  last  of  those  fraternal  as- 
semblages where  his  presence,  learning,  and  goodness,  threw  a 
sacred  charm  over  all  their  proceedings,  and  have  placed  them 
among  the  hallowed  memories  of  his  long  and  successful  admin- 
istration of  this  portion  of  the  vineyard  of  his  Master,  where  he 
had  been  ever  anxious,  ever  laborious  and  judicious,  to  promote 
the  salvation  of  men  by  the  Redeemer's  truth,  through  the  Re- 
deemer's Church. 

On  the  next  day  he  returned  home,  apparently  without  any 
injury  from  his  exertions  and  exposure  at  this  inclement  season 
of  the  year.  On  the  day  following,  under  his  official  signature 
and  seal,  agreeably  to  his  intimation  in  presence  of  the  Board, 
he  addressed  a  communication  to  the  Standing  Committee,  au- 
thorizing that  body  to  act  as  the  Ecclesiastical  Authority  of  the 
Diocese  during  his  absence  from  the  country." 


LI. 

DEPARTURE  FROM  HOME. 

December  17,  after  the  sermon  by  his  assistant,  the  Bishop 
made  a  short  farewell  address  to  his  congregation,  and  on  Mon- 
day, as  he  records  in  his  diary,  "left  home,  with  parting  prayers 
and  blessings,  and  with  the  Lord  for  my  Guide  and  Protector." 

One  day  was  spent  with  his  family  in  Providence,  a  week  in 
New  York  making  the  necessary  preparations  for  his  voyage, 
and  on  Wednesday,  the  27th,  he  sailed  in  the  Moro  Castle  for 
Havana.     His  "Last  Journal"  tells  the  rest. 

Two  days  before  sailing,  Christmas  Day,  he  concluded  what 


VOYAGE.  367 

was,  perhaps,  the  last  letter  which  he  wrote  in  his  native  land,  in 
these  words: — 

"I  am  doing  very  well;  and  am  leaving  the  country  with  a 
consciousness  of  considerable  improvement,  and  a  cheerful  hope 
of  more,  under  God's  sole  blessing.  Not  a  step  would  I  move 
without  saying  '  if  the  Lord  Avill,'  and  'He  who  gave  His  own 
Son  for  us  all,  shall  He  not  with  Him  freely  give  us  all  things?' 
His  ways  are  good,  in  our  sickness,  disability,  and  death,  as 
well  as  in  our  life,  health,  and  vigor.  He  will  protect  our  going 
out  and  our  coming  in,  and  I  hope  that  we  may  say,  in  depend- 
ence on  Him, 

'  Safe  shall  thou  go,  and  safe  return.' " 


LH. 
VOYAGE. 

Finding  no  direct  communication  between  New  York  and 
Port-au-Prince,  he  determined  to  go  first  to  Havana,  supposing 
that  he  could  from  that  port  easily  reach  Hayti,  but  when  there 
he  found  himself  as  far  off  as  when  in  New  York,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  go  to  St.  Thomas,  and  thence  in  a  French  steamer  to 
Cape  Haytien. 

Among  his  fellow  passengers  both  to  Havana  and  St.  Thomas, 
was  an  English  gentleman  returning,  after  a  visit  to  England,  to 
his  home  in  Barbadoes.  From  him  he  received  so  cordial  an 
invitation  to  extend  his  journey  to  "Little  England,"  as  it  is 
called,  that  he  could  not  doubt  its  sincerity,  and  after  spending 
a  short  time  both  in  St.  Croix  and  in  St.  Thomas,  he  proceeded 
in  an  English  steamer  to  Barbadoes.  The  cordial  hospitality  with 
which  he  was  there  entertained,  not  only  by  his  fellow  passen- 
ger, but  by  other  inhabitants  of  the  island,  whom  he  met  there 
for  the  first  time,  made  the  three  weeks  passed  there  very  de- 
lightful, and  laid  upon  his  friends  a  debt  of  gratitude  which 
they  may  never  have  the  opportunity  to  repay. 

But  delightful  as  was  the  journey,  he  gained  nothing  in  health  ; 
his  cough,  though  never  severe,  continued ;  his  expectoration 
increased,  causing  a  loss  of  flesh ;   and  while  at  Barbadoes  his 


368  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

voice  failed  so  much  that  he  could  speak  only  in  a  whisper.  But 
his  strength  and  spirits  kept  up  wonderfully.  He  said  that  he 
had  no  pain  in  any  part  of  his  lungs,  where  the  doctors  had  located 
the  disease,  and  he  evidently  did  not  believe  that  there  was  any 
disease  there.  This  self-deception,  so  strange  in  one  who  had 
seen  so  much  of  sickness  and  death,  was  perhaps  part  of  the 
disease. 

During  his  stay  at  Port-au-Prince,  the  Bishop  commenced 
writing  an  account  of  his  visit  to  Hayti,  and,  in  introducing  the 
subject,  gave  a  hasty  sketch  of  his  previous  voyage  among  the 
islands.  This  fragment,  containing  so  many  graphic  touches, 
will  not  be  read  without  interest,  as  it  allows  his  own  pen  to 
trace  his  course  from  island  to  island,  until  he  reached  Cape 
Haytien. 

"In  our  passage  from  Havana  to  St.  Thomas,  in  January, 
1866,  we  had  skirted  the  whole  northern  shore  of  the  great 
island  of  St.  Domingo.  We  saw,  from  a  little  distance,  the 
same  bold  mountains  which  must  have  saluted  the  eyes  of  Colum- 
bus on  his  first  voyage,  inviting  him  onward.  These  cloudy 
ranges  stretch  in  the  rear  of  others  of  inferior  height ;  and  the 
view  sweeps  down  without  abruptness  to  the  line  of  the  coast, 
which  projects  to  the  north  in  a  commanding  headland,  and 
runs  off  to  the  east  in  a  long,  pointed  level.  The  eastern  and 
western  extremities  of  the  island  are  the  boundaries  of  two  great 
highways  of  vessels  sailing  from  Europe  and  North  America  to 
southern  regions  ;  the  former,  between  St.  Domingo  and  Porto 
Rico  ;  the  latter,  the  windward  passage,  between  St.  Domingo 
and  Cuba. 

When  we  returned,  we  had  gloried  at  the  repose  of  Spanish 
colonial  wealth  within  the  quiet  walls  of  the  capital  of  Port  Rico. 
We  had  become  well  acquainted  with  the  busy,  loquacious  street 
of  St.  Thomas,  under  its  wall  of  uninhabitable  hills;  and  with 
the  soft  and  charming  scenery  of  St.  Croix,  its  plains  of  sugar 
and  cotton,  its  balmy  seasides,  and  its  rich  variety  of  tropical 
trees,  and  of  variegated  fishes.  Then,  we  had  glided  along  the 
shores  of  some  of  the  blue  range  of  eastern  islands,  and  in 
sight  of  others :  St.  Christopher's  and  St.  Eustatius ;  Nevis,  a 
single  green  hill ;  Montserrat,  a  cloudy  mass ;  Redondo,  the 
little  rock  where  our  countrymen  were  collecting  immense  stores 
of  guano  ;  Antigua,  the  mountains  and  narrow  harbor  twice  seen 
by  moonlight ;  Martinique,  Dominico,  Guadaloupe,  all  stretch- 
ing their  green  hillsides  down  to  the  sea,  and  to  their  little  capi- 
tals ;  while  far  behind  each  raises  its  broken  summits  to  a  vast 


FOVAGE.  369 

height ;  St.  Lucia,  with  its  three  rather  sharp  sugar-loaf  points 
breaking  a  jagged  outline ;  and  then  we  had  borne  across  to  the 
more  separated,  but  not  solitary,  isle  of  the  farthest  east,  Barba- 
does.  Three  weeks  we  had  dwelt  under  the  perpetual  sway  of 
the  breezes  from  the  ocean,  which  day  and  night  rushed  over  its 
level  and  fertile  fields.  Barbadoes  has  no  untilled  acres  ;  no  un- 
appropriated spot.  It  is  one  sugar  plantation  divided  into  many. 
There  are  said  to  be  more  people  than  anywhere  else  in  the 
same  number  of  square  miles,  under  circumstances  at  all  simi- 
lar ;  and  all  must  work  a  little  or  suffer  hunger,  even  in  the 
midst  of  plenty.  The  whole  isle  is  arranged  in  so  many  parishes, 
and  subordinate  districts,  of  the  Church  of  England,  that  there 
is  a  good  church,  with  a  clergyman  adequately  paid,  within 
three  or  four  miles  of  every  habitation.  With  the  church,  the 
school  also  is  sustained ;  and  now  a  generation  of  freemen  has 
grown  up  under  such  instruction.  We  had  thus  seen  Barbadoes 
busy,  well  ordered,  thriving;  its  heirs  to  estates  which  they  found 
encumbered,  and  retained  with  anxious  uncertainty  from  the 
crop  of  one  year  to  that  of  the  next ;  its  merchants  often  find- 
ing the  mortgaged  estates  thrown  on  their  hands,  till  their  ad- 
vances threaten  to  make  them  planters  in  their  turn ;  its  laborers, 
not  idle  certainly,  but  not  laying  upon  themselves  any  heavy 
burden  of  protracted  or  extreme  toil.  From  this  utmost  east 
of  West  Indian  culture,  we  had  returned  by  the  way  by  which 
we  went,  till,  having,  in  a  French  steamer  a  little  leaky  and  much 
rolling,  performed  a  rapid  passage  from  St.  Thomas,  we  were 
quite  surprised  by  the  call  to  rise  at  sunrise,  as  long  before  the 
expected  time  we  were  entering  the  harbor  of  Cape  Haytien. 

It  is  a  scene  of  surpassing  beauty.  We  enter  from  the  north. 
On  our  right,  half  a  mile  from  the  shore,  goes  up  a  mighty, 
almost  portentous,  wall  of  protecting  or  threatening  elevation ; 
abrupt,  but  not  inaccessible,  except  for  the  jungle  which  clothes 
it  now.  On  our  left,  a  broad  plain  of  twelve  or  fifteen  miles 
stretches  away  to  the  head  of  the  bay,  and  behind  it  are  some 
distant  mountains,  the  summits  of  which,  with  that  which  imme- 
diately overlooks  the  town,  form  a  complete  inclosure  of  the 
port  and  all  its  surrounding  country.  The  little  fort  of  Piccolete,. 
on  our  right,  commands  the  entrance ;  and  on  the  left,  the  plain 
finds  a  termination  opposite  a  small  island.  Lines  of  breakers 
between  these  two  points  mark  the  reefs,  forming  a  natural  break- 
water, and  allowing  still  a  broad  passage  for  the  merchantmen. 
What  city  might  not  envy  that  amphitheatre  of  hills,  near  and 
far  !     What  harbor  of  ships  lies  folded  in  such  arms  ! 

With  several  of  our  fellow-passengers,  among  whom  were  four 
Roman  Catholic  priests  just  from  Paris,  we  landed  by  the  boat 
of  the  ship  at  the  wharf  of  the  custom  house.  Between  the 
24 


37°  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  B  UR  CESS. 

ship  and  the  shore  we  met  a  boat  from  the  American  ship  of  war 
Monongahela,  which  was  lying  in  the  harbor ;  and  I  delivered 
a  letter  for  her  commander,  Captain  Bissell,  with  which  I  had 
been  charged  from  Admiral  Palmer,  at  St.  Thomas.  In  antici- 
pation of  my  arrival,  the  boat  had  been  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
the  Vice  Consul,  who,  in  the  absence  of  the  Consul  in  America, 
and  at  the  kind  request  of  the  Consul  General,  had  undertaken 
to  provide  us  with  an  abode.  It  was  a  most  thoughtful  arrange- 
ment on  the  part  of  each  of  our  official  friends ;  for  the  hotel 
accommodations  of  Cape  Haytien  were  very  few  and  very  un- 
prouMsing.  We  were  taken,  therefore,  to  the  house  occupied  as 
the  American  Consulate,  and  invested  with  possession  under  the 
flag  of  our  country.  We  were  to  dine  with  the  family  of  a  gentle- 
man whose  house  was  close  by ;  and  his  servants  were  charged 
with  the  provision  of  our  lighter  morning  and  evening  meals,  as 
well  as  with  our  other  necessities.  There  was  the  additional  advan- 
tage that  we  could  follow  somewhat  the  usages  of  our  home,  and 
avoid  one  of  the  two  heavy  repasts  which,  throughout  the  West 
Indies,  are,  I  may  respectfully  say,  inflicted  on  the  traveller, 
longing  for  something  either  in  the  forenoon  or  in  the  evening, 
more  cool,  refreshing,  and  slight  than  those  ponderous,  solid,  and 
seasoned  dishes  in  their  succession. 

There  was  some  delay  in  landing  and  opening  the  trunks;  all, 
however,  as  well  as  the  matter  of  the  passport,  was  in  due  time 
transacted  with  due  formalities.  I  was  taken,  however,  at  once, 
a  long  way  to  report  myself  to  the  proper  officers  of  the  city  or 
port,  in  person,  and  by  his  deputy  at  once  dismissed.  The 
persons  in  office  whom  we  encountered  at  these  places  were  men 
of  color,  well  dressed,  and  of  respectable  aspect.  But  the  few 
soldiers  who  were  standing  about  as  guards  were  scarecrows. 
Poor  fellows !  I  could  not  find  room  in  my  mind  for  one  senti- 
ment of  ridicule  ;  they  were  but  sharing  the  disasters  of  the  city 
and  the  land.  I  passed  that  morning,  on  my  first  walk,  through 
the  market-place,  where  a  few  scattered  piles  denoted  the  sites 
of  houses,  shops,  and  stalls,  which  had  been  all  burned  with  re- 
morseless wickedness  by  the  insurgents  of  the  recent  revolution, 
after  they  had  abandoned  all  hope  of  retaining  the  town. 

The  first  glance  of  the  stranger  discloses  to  him  a  city  thrice 
ruined.  Even  that  glance  reveals  foundations  and  structures 
which  must  have  come  down  from  the  days  of  the  first  French 
dominion.  It  was  the  work  of  that  age  of  wealth  and  luxury, 
to  extend  these  long  streets  for  miles  beneath  the  shadow  of  the 
mountain,  to  lay  out  these  squares,  and  embellish  them  with 
useful  fountains,  which  still  bring  down  and  yield  the  universal 
supply  of  pure,  fresh  water;  to  build  those  statelier  mansions 
whose  handsome  stone  gateways,   windows,  and  corridors  still 


A  T  FOR  T-A  U- PRINCE.  3  7  f 

adorn  some  desolated  spots  outside  of  the  town  ;  and  to  plan  that 
spacious  white  cathedral,  which,  if  not  very  consistent  in  its 
architecture,  was,  in  its  general  effect,  majestic  and  imposing. 
It  is  possible  that,  in  the  bloody  revolution  which  established  the 
independence  of  Hayti,  some  of  the  chateaux  and  wealthier 
houses  may  have  been  demolished.  But  this  could  explain  but 
a  very  small  portion  of  the  present  scene  of  decay.  It  is  chiefly 
the  result  of  the  terrible  earthquake  of  1842,  which  laid  the 
city  in  the  dust,  and  overwhelmed  a  multitude  with  instantaneous 
death." 

The  ruined  city  seemed  to  possess  for  him  an  intense  interest, 
and  the  ten  days  which  he  spent  there,  receiving  the  kindest 
hospitality  both  from  natives  of  the  place  and  from  Americans 
temporarily  settled  there,  were  among  the  most  pleasant  of  a  very 
pleasant  winter. 


LIII. 

AT  PORT-AU-PRINCE. 

But  Cape  Haytien  was  not  the  goal  for  which  the  Bishop  had 
started,  nor  the  place  where  his  services  were  most  needed,  and, 
on  the  1 6th  of  March,  he  was  glad  to  embark  in  a  Haytien  war 
steamer,  in  which  the  Vice  Consul  had  procured  him  a  passage 
for  Port-au-Prince.  Here  he  was  received  with  the  utmost  cor- 
diality and  hospitality  by  the  American  Consul  General,  Mr. 
Peck,  and  the  Vice  Consul,  Mr.  Conard,  and  it  was  in  the  house 
of  the  latter  that  he  found  truly  a  home. 

The  last  weeks  of  his  life  could  not  have  been  anywhere  made 
more  comfortable.  He  was  in  what  he  called  a  "delicious  cli- 
mate," where  it  was  a  pleasure  merely  to  breathe,  and  in,  as  his 
journal  states,  "the  airiest  house  in  Port-au-Prince."  The 
house  stands  very  near  the  bay,  with  nothing  to  intercept  the 
cool  sea  breeze,  and  the  wide  galleries,  which  at  certain  hours  of 
the  day  formed  the  family  sitting  and  reception  rooms,  made  it 
unnecessary  to  seek  exercise  in  the  dusty  street.  Here  he  re- 
ceived just  the  amount  of  attention  needed  to  make  him  com- 
fortable, without  being  harassed  by  too  much.    He  could  always 


372  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

find  society  when  he  felt  equal  to  conversation,  but  he  was 
allowed  to  remain  quietly  in  his  room  or  in  the  gallery,  reading 
or  resting,  without  disturbance  and  without  fearing  that  he  might 
not  be  thought  quite  civil.  In  short,  both  his  host  and  hostess 
made  him  feel  at  home,  which  is  the  truest  hospitality. 

For  an  account  of  his  five  weeks'  residence  in  Port-au-Prince 
and  his  labors  there,  we  must  depend  on  another  pen.  It  will  be 
enough  to  say  here  that  he  did  labor,  and  that  he  accomplished 
the  object  for  which  he  was  sent  by  the  Committee  for  Foreign 
Missions.  Every  Sunday  while  there,  he  either  took  a  large  part 
of  the  service,  or  preached.  He  held  two  confirmations,  ordained 
two  persons,  and  baptized  several  children.  On  the  15th  of 
April,  eight  days  before  his  death,  he  preached  from  Genesis, 
xxviii.  20-22,  but  before  reaching  the  end  of  his  sermon,  his 
strength  failed,  he  grew  very  pale,  and  was  obliged  to  omit 
several  pages  and  conclude  abruptly. 

Some  extracts  from  this,  his  last  sermon,  are  here  given.  It 
is  strikingly  appropriate,  and  they  will  be  read  with  a  mournful 
interest. 

"  So  surely  and  safely  walks  he  who  abides  in  the  covenant  of 
the  Lord.  And  now,  ready  to  move  forward  with  the  light  of 
this  morning  on  our  journey  towards  the  future,  not  knowing 
what  shall  befall  us  there,  let  us  remind  ourselves  that  we  are, 
or  should  be,  in  such  a  covenant,  and  let  us  endeavor  to  assure 
ourselves  of  the  blessing  of  His  protection,  if  we  are  ready  to 
make  His  covenant  our  steadfast  choice 

'I  will  be  with  thee,'  saith  the  Lord;  and  that  is  a  promise  of 
protection  and  of  peace.  For  God  is  present  wherever  the  chil- 
dren of  men  are  found ;  and  is  about  the  path  of  every  one  of 
them  ;  but  to  be  with  an  individual,  as  He  has  here  promised, 
is  to  be  at  his  side  as  a  friend  and  defender.  It  is  uttered,  not 
as  a  warning  to  inspire  dread,  but  as  an  assurance,  to  fill  the 
heart  with  confidence.  If  you  would  have  ever  at  your  side  one 
to  whom  all  your  heart  is  open,  and  who  both  knows  and  loves 
you  better  than  you  know  or  love  yourself,  the  Lord  will  be  that 
friend.  In  Him  are  all  wisdom,  all  kindness,  all  power;  what- 
ever you  can  need  or  wish ;  admonition  in  prosperity,  light  in 
adversity;  and  the  fulness  of  all  blessings  must  be  with  you 
when  He  is  Avith  you  in  whom  you  have  your  being. 

'I  will  keep  thee,'  saith  the  Lord,  '  in  all  places  whither  thou 
goest. '     What  those  places  may  be  you  cannot  now  guess,  nor 


AT  FOR T-A U- PRINCE.  373 

would  you  desire  to  know,  if  you  are  wise.  Let  them  he  still 
hidden  within  the  sole  knowledge  of  God,  till,  in  His  time,  you 
shall  reach  them,  one  by  one.  But  then,  and  till  then,  the 
Lord  whom  all  the  angels  serve,  will  keep  you  in  your  going 
out  and  your  coming  in ;  and  you  shall  not  be  in  any  place  in 
which  His  heavenly  messengers  have  not  charge  over  the  right- 
eous. That  ladder  which  Jacob  saw  in  his  vision  has  its  foot  at 
every  spot  at  which  a  servant  of  God  lies  down  to  rest.  Your 
lot  may  lead  you  across  the  ocean ;  or  over  the  almost  boimdless 
plains  of  the  continent;  into  the  heart  of  vast  cities  where  crime 
is  as  watchful  as  justice,  where  hundreds  of  thousands  close  their 
eyes  at  once  in  sleep ;  or  into  the  most  remote  solitudes  where 
no  sound  of  living  creature  is  heard  by  day  or  night,  except  it  be 
that  of  the  wild  bird  or  beast.  It  may  lead  you  where  tempests 
drive  the  vessel,  where  flames  rush  through  the  dwelling,  where 
the  balls  of  death  fly  thick  across  the  battlefield,  or  where  to 
breathe  the  infected  air  is  to  inhale  pestilence.  It  may  lead  you 
where  you  will  be  tempted  by  pleasures,  which  it  is  hard  for  you 
now  to  imagine  in  their  seductiveness,  or  else  hard  to  think  that 
you  could  withstand ;  or  by  injuries  which  it  seems  to  flesh  and 
blood  impossible  to  forgive;  or  by  unbelief  in  forms  which  will 
have  then  for  you  a  power  such  as  till  now  they  have  never  worn 
for  a  moment;  or  by  the  hideous  but  strangely  mighty  domain 
of  despair.  You  may  be  going,  too,  into  sorrows  for  which  you 
are  by  no  means  prepared :  nay,  it  is  certain  that  if  you  live,  it 
can  be  only  under  the  necessity  of  encountering  a  variety  of 
griefs,  anxieties,  and  bereavement.  The  night  will  overtake  you, 
the  night  of  trouble,  the  night  of  loneliness,  the  night  even  of 
death.  But  here  is  the  sufficient  assurance  for  every  time  of 
need  and  for  every  place  of  exposure:  'I  will  keep  thee  in  all 
places  whither  thou  goest. '  There  is  no  exception ;  and  you 
cannot  go  where  the  Lord  will  not  be  at  your  right  hand  with 
the  shield  of  His  defence. 

To  Jacob,  as  a  wanderer,  leaving  his  home  and  the  house  of 
his  father,  the  promise  also  was  that  the  Lord  would  bring  him 
again  into  that  land  from  which  he  fled.  There  is  no  such  en- 
gagement to  any  one  who,  now,  in  his  youth,  leaves  behind  him 
his  dear  friends  and  his  birthplace.  He  may  never  revisit  them ; 
but  there  is  a  prospect  before  him  which  is  more  than  equivalent 
to  this.  The  earthly  Canaan  was  the  pledge  of  the  heavenly : 
'they  looked  for  a  city  which  hath  foundations.'  So,  whosoever 
gives  up  home  and  a  father's  house,  may  think  of  another  home 
and  a  celestial  house,  after  all  human  habitations  shall  be  dis- 
solved. All  the  promises  of  God  have  there  their  termination 
and  entire  accomplishment.  The  Lord  will  bring  His  servant 
home." 


374  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

LIV. 

VISITATION  IN  HAYTI. 

This  section  is  a  communication  from  the  Rev.  James  Theo- 
dore Holly,  from  the  beginning  of  the  mission  in  Hayti  its  faith- 
ful leader  and  minister,  and  an  eye-witness  of  the  Bishop's  last 
labors  for  the  Church. 

"  On  the  ist  of  May,  1861,  a  company  of  emigrants,  composed 
of  one  hundred  and  eleven  colored  persons,  set  sail  from  New 
Haven,  Connecticut,  for  Port-au-Prince,  Hayti.  A  clergyman 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  canonically  resident  in  the 
diocese  of  Connecticut  went  at  the  head  of  this  emigrant  colony 
as  its  leader.  They  sought  to  better  their  social  position,  and 
also  designed  to  establish  and  perpetuate,  under  the  blessing  of 
God,  in  the  land  of  their  adoption,  the  precious  consolations  of 
religion,  by  founding  in  their  new-made  homes  a  pure  branch 
of  the  Church  of  Christ.  The  Rt.  Rev.  Alfred  Lee,  D.D.,  Bishop 
of  Delaware,  made  an  episcopal  visitation  to  the  Church  organized 
by  them  towards  the  close  of  the  year  1863,  for  the  purpose  of 
administering  the  Apostolic  rite  of  confirmation,  and  also  of 
personally  examining  the  apparent  prospects  of  Hayti  as  a  mis- 
sion field  of  the  Church. 

Bishop  Burgess,  who  had  been  appointed  to  make  the  second 
visitation,  arrived  at  the  Island  about  the  middle  of  March,  1S66. 

As  the  evidence  of  the  self-denying  manner  in  which  he  de- 
voted himself  to  the  episcopal  functions  which  he  went  to  Hayti 
to  perform,  it  may  be  mentioned  here,  that  although  in  very 
feeble  health,  he  spared  not  himself  in  the  least  while  there,  in 
going  about  daily,  under  a  burning  tropical  sun,  wheresoever  an 
opportunity  presented  itself,  either  to  perform  a  ministerial  func- 
tion or  to  make  closer  observations  of  Haytien  society,  so  as  to 
form  thereby  a  juster  idea  of  that  country  as  a  field  for  mis- 
sionary labor.  Thus,  while  at  Cape  Haytien,  he  walked  on  one 
occasion  the  distance  of  a  mile,  in  going  to  the  house  of  a  man, 
a  candidate  for  confirmation,  who  had  felt  himself  too  indis- 
posed to  be  present  for  the  reception  of  that  rite  in  the  Wesleyan 


1 7SJ  TA  TION  IN  HA  YTI.  375 

Chapel  at  that  place,  where  the  Bishop  had  administered  confir- 
mation the  day  previous;  but  to  all  appearance  this  same 
man,  though  somewhat  ill,  looked  in  every  way  a  great  deal 
more  vigorous  than  the  invalid  Bishop  who  arrived,  exhausted 
by  the  effort,  under  his  roof,  to  administer  to  him  the  blessed 
consolations  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  whom  the  worthy 
prelate  was  truly  a  self-denying  apostle. 

In  like  manner,  while  at  Port-au-Prince,  the  Bishop  rode  a 
distance  of  nearly  three  miles  on  a  hard-trotting  horse,  which 
was  very  kindly  indeed  placed  at  his  disposal  by  a  third  party  ; 
yet  this  was  an  exercise  that  proved  exceedingly  trying  to  him 
in  the  very  feeble  state  of  health  in  which  he  then  found  himself. 
And  yet  he  cheerfully  endured  it,  and  willingly  subjected  him- 
self to  this  inconvenience,  for  the  purpose  of  administering  bap- 
tism to  several  children  of  an  American  merchant  dwelling  in 
the  rural  districts  of  the  Haytien  capital,  but  which  children 
could  have  been  more  conveniently  brought  to  him.  And 
during  the  five  weeks  that  he  sojourned  at  Port-au-Prince, 
besides  assisting  every  Sunday  morning  at  public  worship  held 
at  a  place  somewh,  *■  convenient  to  his  lodgings,  he  would  also 
walk  more  than  a  mile  the  same  afternoon  in  going  to  the  resi- 
dence of  the  missionary,  to  assist  in  a  small  Sunday  school  com- 
posed of  adults  and  children,  who  assembled  there  for  instruc- 
tion in  the  word  of  God.  Exhausted  by  the  effort,  he  would 
sometimes  sit  down  by  the  wayside  to  catch  his  breath,  and  then 
arise  and  pursue  his  journey  until,  arriving  at  last  at  the  mis- 
sionary residence,  he  would  be  obliged  to  take  a  seat  below  in 
order  to  repose  himself  before  attempting  to  ascend  a  steep  stair- 
way leading  up  to  the  chamber  where  the  school  was  held. 

Among  the  measures  recommended  and  sanctioned  by  him 
during  this  visitation,  so  as  to  place  the  work  upon  a  permanent 
basis  for  the  future,  we  may  notice  the  ordination  of  two  native 
ministers ;  the  recommendation  to  the  Committee  of  Foreign 
Missions  of  the  stations  that  they  were  to  occupy,  for  its  patron- 
age and  support;  the  admission  of  six  young  men,  already 
attached  to  the  mission  in  Hayti,  as  candidates  for  Holy 
Orders  ;  and  last,  though  not  least  in  importance  among  those 
measures,  the  recommendation  and  preliminary  approval  of  a 


376  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

plan  of  Convocation  among  the  missionary  laborers  of  the  Church 
in  that  island,  having  for  its  object  the  extension  of  the  Church's 
mission  in  Hayti,  and  the  ultimate  organization  of  a  Haytien 
branch  of  the  Apostolic  Church  of  Christ,  by  putting  into  imme- 
diate execution  such  judicious  and  well-considered  measures  as 
might  facilitate  it  at  arriving  promptly  at  a  self-supporting  basis. 
Among  the  measures  embraced  in  this  plan  of  convocation,  the 
Bishop  laid  the  most  emphasis  on  the  organization  of  congrega- 
tions wheresoever  this  was  practicable  in  the  various  localities  of 
the  island ;  and  forcibly  urged  the  digesting  and  setting  on  foot 
of  a  regular  system  of  contributions,  with  the  view  of  supporting 
the  work  of  the  Church,  by  means  collected  on  the  spot,  as  far 
and  as  soon  as  the  same  is  possible.  He  took  occasion  to  par- 
ticularly impress  this  idea  at  Port-au-Prince,  in  some  remarks 
made  to  this  purport  at  the  annual  parish  meeting  held  on 
Easter  Monday,  1866,  at  which  he  was  present,  and  afterwards 
enforced  the  same  idea  upon  the  whole  congregation,  in  some 
further  remarks  made  at  the  public  service  on  the  Sunday  morn- 
ing following. 

In  fine,  after  a  careful  and  untiring  examination  of  the  claims 
of  the  Haytien  mission  field,  by  close  personal  observations 
both  at  the  Cape  and  at  Port-au-Prince,  as  well  as  by  correspon- 
dence with  persons  at  Saint  Marc  and  Cayes,  the  Bishop  came 
to  the  profound  conviction  that,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  there 
were  good  hopes  of  building  up  a  living  branch  of  the  Church 
in  Hayti,  if  generous  preliminary  aid  should  be  given  to  the 
work  from  abroad,  and  if  judicious  measures,  adapted  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  country,  should  also  be  vigorously  prose- 
cuted in  the  mean  time  by  those  to  whose  hands  the  work  in 
that  island  is  personally  committed.  The  ideas  of  the  Bishop 
in  regard  to  those  measures,  already  partially  developed  above, 
may  be  summed  up  in  the  following  statements,  which  are,  in 
substance,  his  own  proper  expressions  made  during  divers  con- 
versations held  with  the  two  missionary  presbyters  now  laboring 
in  that  field  :  To  call  forth  and  employ  qualified  native  converts 
to  preach  the  Gospel ;  to  make  them  feel  as  far  as  possible  a 
full  sense  of  the  responsibility  resting  upon  them  to  do  the  mis- 
sionary work  in  Hayti;    to  set  on  foot  at  once  among  them- 


7  ^ISITA  TIOiV  IN  II A  YTL  377 

selves  a  plan  of  operations  calculated  to  arrive  promptly  at  the 
ultimate  assumption  of  that  entire  responsibility;  and  in  the 
mean  time,  to  have  them  look  upon  the  succor  received  from 
abroad  as  temporary,  and  given  to  them  on  the  express  condi- 
tion that  they  should  put  forth  every  possible  effort  to  arrive  at 
that  point  where  they  may  thereafter  carry  on  their  own  work. 

He  further  expressed  the  opinion  that,  as  there  is  a  number  of 
converts  already  made  in  Hayti  by  the  previous  efforts  of  other 
missionary  bodies,  there  is  now  no  need  of  sending  laborers  from 
abroad  to  work  in  that  field,  because  the  necessary  laborers  can 
be  found  here,  and  ought  to  be  called  into  activity.  He  also 
added  that,  as  he  looked  upon  the  present  state  at  which  the 
work  in  Hayti  had  arrived,  he  did  not  believe  that  God  imposed 
the  duty  upon  any  foreigner  to  make  the  self-sacrifice  to  come  to 
Hayti  as  a  missionary,  seeing  that  native  laborers  can  be  found. 
This  opinion  he  frankly  expressed  to  the  British  Wesleyan 
missionary  at  Port-au-Prince,  in  a  conversation  that  was  held 
between  them  on  the  subject ;  although  that  missionary  enter- 
tained the  rather  extravagant  idea  that  laborers  ought  to  be 
sent  into  Hayti  from  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  for  the 
next  fifty  years.  The  views  of  the  Bishop  on  this  point  are  in 
accordance  with  those  now  held  by  the  Wesleyan  missionary 
committee  at  London,  which  has  been  engaged  in  the  active 
superintendence  of  missions  in  this  field  for  the  last  sixty  years, 
and  which  has  recently  positively  declined  to  accede  to  the 
demands  of  their  missionary  at  Port-au-Prince,  asking  them  to 
send  more  laborers  from  Great  Britain  into  Hayti,  and  refused 
to  give  its  sanction  to  a  proposed  plan  of  his  to  invite  such 
laborers  to  come  from  the  United  States  ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
the  committee  urges  that  the  native  converts  must  now  com- 
mence to  do  their  own  Gospel  work. 

The  news  of  the  death  of  Bishop  Burgess,  so  suddenly  after 
having  quitted  the  harbor  of  Port-au-Prince,  on  his  homeward 
passage,  on  reaching  the  brethren  in  that  city,  while  it  filled  them 
with  the  profoundest  grief  on  the  one  hand,  only  served  to  stimu- 
late them  on  the  other,  to  execute  the  high  and  holy  charge 
which,  under  God,  he  had  committed  unto  their  hands,  as  the 
last  will  and  testament  of  this  divinely  sent  apostle  to  the  Church 


378  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

in  Hayti,  whom  God  had  taken  to  Himself,  as  a  token  of  His 
Fatherly  approbation,  at  the  very  moment  that  he  had  fulfilled 
his  blessed  apostolate.  The  members  of  the  Standing  Com- 
mittee, those  executors  of  his  will  as  contained  in  his  plan  of 
convocation,  first  united  in  rendering  a  becoming  testimony  to 
the  character  of  the  illustrious  prelate  whose  labors  in  Hayti 
had  been  the  last  of  his  episcopate.  Trinity  Congregation  at 
Port-au-Prince  followed,  giving  expression  to  its  profound  senti- 
ments in  view  of  that  heart-thrilling  event.  And  although  we 
cannot  find  place  here  for  an  extract  from  those  testimonials,  yet 
we  think  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  close  this  section  by  referring  to 
a  more  recent  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  departed  Bishop, 
which  took  place  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  church- 
edifice,  designed  for  the  use  of  the  congregation  at  Port-au-Prince, 
February  nth,  1868.  On  that  occasion  two  sheets  of  parchment, 
left  accidentally  behind  him  at  his  lodgings,  in  taking  his  depar- 
ture from  Port-au-Prince,  and  bearing  his  signature  and  seal  as 
Bishop  of  Maine,  were  solemnly  deposited  among  the  sacred 
archives  sealed  up  in  a  leaden  box,  and  placed  under  the  corner- 
stone, accompanied  with  this  inscription  : — 

'  These  sheets  of  parchment  were  used  by  that  venerable  pre- 
late in  giving  letters  of  ordination  to  those  whom  he  had  admit- 
ted to  the  Holy  Ministry.  This  Church  of  which  we  lay,  at  this 
moment,  the  corner-stone,  will  be  inaugurated  under  the  name 
of  the  Holy  Trinity,  and  in  the  blessed  memory  of  this  Bishop, 
whose  Episcopal  labors  were  brought  to  a  final  close  by  his 
labors  in  Hayti.  For,  after  having  taken  passage  on  board  a 
vessel  to  return  home  to  his  native  land,  he  expired  the  23d  of 
April,  1866,  while  still  within  the  waters  of  this  island,  off  the 
coasts  of  Miragoane.  We  are  indebted  to  his  widow  for  the 
materials  which  are  to  serve  for  the  construction  of  this  Church 
and  its  accessories,  among  which  is  a  school-house.  The  funds 
that  the  friends  of  her  deceased  consort  contributed  for  this  pur- 
pose not  being  sufficient,  the  Foreign  Committee  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Board  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  appropriated  the  balance  out  of  its  missionary  trea- 
sury/ " 


THE  END.  379 

LV. 
THE   END. 

The  last  date  in  the  Bishop's  Journal  is  April  20th.  He  might 
have  written  again  on  the  21st,  but  expecting  to  sail  on  that  day, 
the  trunks  had  been  packed  and  sent  on  board  the  vessel.  At 
sunrise  on  the  22d  he  embarked;  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
23d,  while  resting  on  the  deck,  with  no  warning  which  he  could 
recognize,  and  with  but  a  few  minutes'  warning  to  the  single 
watcher  at  his  side,  he  was  called  to  his  heavenly  home.  It  was 
less  like  death  than  like  a  translation.  "He  walked  with  God, 
and  he  was  not;  for  God  took  him." 

How  little  the  Bishop  anticipated  so  sudden  and  speedy  a  ter- 
mination of  his  labors,  was  evident,  both  from  his  conversation 
and  from  his  letters.  Having  found  that  he  could  make  his 
whisper  audible  to  a  congregation,  he  looked  forward  to  making 
his  usual  Diocesan  visitations  on  his  return;  and  on  the  21st  of 
April,  two  days  before  his  death,  he  concluded  a  long  letter  to 
Bishop  Lee,  of  Delaware,  in  these  words: — 

"I  shall  hope  to  have  the  opportunity  of  making  large  expla- 
nations, and  conferring  on  the  whole  suljject  of  this  Mission  with 
you  at  length,  if  it  please  God  to  bring  me  home  soon,  in  tole- 
rable health." 

How  thoroughly  he  was  prepared  for  the  end,  at  any  time,  is 
shown  by  the  following  paper,  which  was  found  in  the  same 
envelope  with  his  will,  without  date,  but  with  a  fresh  look,  as  if 
written  recently. 

"If  it  should  please  God  that  my  death  should  be  sudden,  in 
the  night  or  otherwise,  I  would  wish  my  dearest  wife  and  child 
to  understand  that  it  was  not  without  ample  warning  to  me;  and 
•that  I  hoped  to  be,  through  His  all-sufficient  mercy  in  Christ,  as 
ready  for  such  summons  as  for  one  which  might  allow  me  to 
speak  freely  with  them  of  our  parting,  and  of  my  trust  to  meet 
them  again  where  we  shall  not  part  again ;  forgiven  and  saved 
forever,  for  Jesus'  sake. 

George  Burgess." 


380  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

After  such  a  reminder  of  the  shortness  and  luicertainty  of 
human  life,  Mrs.  Burgess  could  not  but  take  measures  that,  even 
if  she  should'  never  reach  her  home,  there  might  still  remain 
some  account  of  the  last  hours  of  the  Bishop.  She,  therefore, 
while  on  her  voyage  home,  wrote  the  following  letter  to  her 
family,  which  gives  a  full  account  of  the  beautiful,  peaceful  close 
of  a  beautiful,  peaceful  life. 

Barque  Robert  Murray,  Jr.,  April,  1866. 

"During  the  first  two  weeks  after  leaving  home,  my  dear 
husband  appeared  to  improve  so  much  that  I  was  greatly  en- 
couraged ;  but  I  soon  saw  that  it  was  only  temporary.  After 
that  time  I  never  felt  that  my  letters  home  conveyed  the  truth ; 
but  I  could  not  write  as  I  felt,  for  he  either  told  me  what  to  say 
about  him,  or  asked  me  what  I  was  writing  about  him,  or  took 
my  letter  from  my  hand  and  read  it ;  and  as  long  as  he  thought 
that  he  was  getting  better,  I  could  not  run  the  risk  of  his  reading 
what  might  damp  his  hopes.  Still,  through  the  winter  he  had 
no  pain.  His  cough  was  not  of  a  troublesome,  wearing  kind. 
The  worst  symptom  was  that  his  constant  expectoration  caused 
him  to  grow  very  thin.  He  did  not  seem  to  lose  strength,  how- 
ever, in  proportion  as  he  lost  flesh.  Six  days  before  he  died  he 
rode  two  miles,  on  horseback,  over  a  rough,  mountain  road, 
and  baptized  three  children,  and  returned  the  same  way ;  and 
the  last  Sunday  that  he  was  on  shore  he  read  most  of  the  Ante- 
Communion  Service,  and  undertook  to  preach,  but  was  obliged 
to  close  his  sermon  abruptly,  when  nearly  through,  because  he 
became  exhausted  with  standing  so  long,  and  could  not  make  up 
his  mind  to  sit  down  and  finish  it.  Within  five  weeks  he  had 
taken  a  walk  of  three  miles,  and  within  six  weeks  one  of  four 
miles,  without  unusual  fatigue.  He  fully  expected  to  return 
home  and  make  his  annual  visitation  in  the  Diocese ;  and  he 
always  looked  forward  to  getting  well ;  and  though  I  had  lost 
that  hope,  I  thought  that  at  his  age,  decline  was  not  likely  to  be 
rapid,  and  that  by  spending  his  winters  in  mild  climates  he  might 
yet  be  spared  to  us  some  years,  unless  he  should  have  a  hemor- 
rhage. That,  I  thought,  was  the  greatest  danger,  and  it  was  my 
constant  prayer  that  he  might  escape  such  an  attack,  and  be 
permitted  to  see  his  friends  at  home  again. 

So  the  winter  passed,  and  when  our  passage  was  engaged  in 
the  Crusader,  for  which  vessel  we  were  daily  looking,  and  it 
seemed  that  in  a  few  days  we  would  be  at  home,  I  almost  lost 
my  fears.  But  the  steamer  was  so  crowded  upon  her  arrival  at 
Port-au-Prince,  that  we  could  not  be  taken  on  board.  There 
was  then  but  one  other  way  for  us  to  go.     The  barque  '  Robert 


THE  END.  38 1 

Murray,  Jr.,'  had  gone  to  Miragoane,  a  port  sixty  miles  down 
the  coast,  to  complete  her  lading,  and  was  to  sail  the  following 
Tuesday  for  New  York,  and  our  friends  proposetl  that  we  should 
take  passage  for  home  in  her.  They  assured  us  that  we  would 
be  quite  as  comfortable  as  in  the  steamer,  and  that  the  lengthened 
voyage  would  be  rather  an  advantage,  and  the  Bishop  said  he 
was  well  content  with  the  arrangement.  So  they  procured  a 
passage  for  us  in  the  brig  Jane,  which  was  expected  to  sail  for 
Miragoane  on  the  same  errand  as  the  barque,  on  Saturday  after- 
noon, at  the  same  time  that  the  Crusader  sailed.  In  the  after- 
noon we  received  word  that  we  could  not  sail  till  the  next  day, 
and  that  we  had  better  come  on  board  at  sunrise. 

On  Sunday  morning,  April  22,  the  Bishop  seemed  to  feel  a 
little  weaker,  for  he  asked  me  to  walk  with  him  to  the  wharf, 
that  he  might  choose  his  own  gait,  and  before  leaving  the  house 
he  drank  not  only  some  chocolate,  but  some  sherry  also.  As  a 
neighbor  came  on  purpose  to  see  him  off,  I  could  not  walk  with 
him,  but  we  seemeei  to  be  walking  so  slowly,  that  when  some 
one  met  Mr.  Conard  and  stopped  him,  I  was  surprised  to  hear 
the  Bishop  say  that  he  was  glad  to  stop  and  take  breath.  Climb- 
ing the  ship's  ladder  cost  him  such  an  effort  that  on  reaching  the 
deck  he  sat  down  on  a  bench  exhausted,  and  was  compelled  to 
rest  before  he  could  go  to  the  cabin.  The  brig  was  a  small  one; 
the  cabin  was  partly  above  and  partly  below  the  deck,  and  on 
either  side,  between  the  cabin  and  the  railing,  was  a  passage, 
about  three  feet  wide,  which  was  quite  retired.  Here  the  steward 
spread  a  mattress  that  the  Bishop  might  rest.  This  must  not 
give  the  impression  that  they  looked  upon  him  as  ill.  It  is  the 
custom  of  the  country  in  making  coasting  voyages,  where  the 
accommodations  are  not  very  good,  for  people  to  carry  with 
them  mattresses  and  pillows,  to  spread  on  the  deck,  to  lie  on. 
The  Bishop  spent  the  morning  lying  on  the  mattress,  sometimes 
asleep,  but  awake  long  enough  to  go  through  the  Morning  Ser- 
vice with  me,  by  dividing  it  into  three  parts.  It  was  our  custom, 
when  we  could  have  no  public  service,  to  read  it  together,  as- 
suming the  proper  postures  where  we  could ;  but  on  this  occasion 
he  remained  on  the  mattress,  and  allowed  me  to  read  it  all  to 
him,  he  responding  only  where  his  memory  served  him.  The 
wind  died  away,  so  that  we  lay  in  the  harbor  all  day,  and  did 
not  sail  till  midnight.  I  said  it  was  a  pity  we  came  on  board, 
as  we  might  as  well  have  been  on  shore  all  day.  He  replied 
that  it  was  better  so ;  that  he  hardly  knew  what  he  could  have 
done  on  shore,  as  he  felt  scarcely  equal  to  walking  to  the  place 
of  worship;  but  he  added,  'I  suppose  I  should  have  gone.'  This 
rather  surprised  me,  as  the  distance  was  not  great,  and  every 
Sunday  he  had  not  only  taken  part  in  the  Morning  Service,  but 


382  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

in  the  afternoon  had  walked  to  Mr.  Holly's  Sunday  School, 
which  was  three  or  four  times  as  far.  In  the  afternoon  he  seemed 
to  feel  somewhat  rested,  sat  up  more,  in  reading  the  Service 
looked  over  the  book  with  me,  and  I  think  read  his  part  of  the 
Psalter.  He  went  to  the  cabin  at  each  meal,  and  at  noon  went 
down  and  shaved  himself,  and  in  the  evening,  as  it  rained  and 
we  could  not  be  on  deck,  he  went  early  to  his  state-room  and 
lay  down,  but  at  the  same  time  told  me  that  I  need  not  think  he 
meant  that  for  going  to  bed,  as  I  knew  his  way  of  lying  down  at 
all  hours.  After  everything  was  arranged  for  the  night,  I  pro- 
posed to  him  that  he  should  remain  quietly  in  his  berth  and  let 
me  kneel  by  his  side  while  he  said  our  evening  prayers,  and  for 
the  first  time  he  consented.  He  said  them  without  apparent 
difficulty,  but  with  a  slight  catching  of  the  breath.  We  neither 
of  us  slept  much,  and  several  times  in  the  night  he  left  the  berth 
and  sat  up  for  a  while.  The  cabin  was  warm,  and  at  daylight 
he  proposed  leaving  it.  Again  I  suggested  saying  our  prayers 
while  he  remained  quiet,  and  again  he  consented.  After  going 
on  deck,  where  we  had  more  light,  I  proposed  reading  our 
chapters  to  him,  but  he  said,  no,  he  would  read  them  with  me; 
and  he  read  the  alternate  verses.  The  few  steps  from  the  cabin 
seemed  to  affect  his  breathing  so  much  that  I  proposed  bringing 
his  breakfast  to  him,  and  he  agreed  to  it.  There  was  nothing 
tempting  for  breakfast,  and  he  only  took  a  cup  of  coffee,  and 
afterwards  a  glass  of  ale,  which  he  said  was  very  refreshing,  and 
he  was  glad  that  he  had  thought  of  providing  some  for  his  voy- 
age. He  then  went  to  his  mattress  again,  saying  that  he  must 
make  up  for  last  night.  Still  I  do  not  think  he  slept.  In  a  little 
while  he  sat  up  by  my  side  and  talked  easily.  He  remarked 
how  suddenly  and  strangely  this  shortness  of  breath  had  come 
upon  him  ;  that  the  difficulty  in  getting  on  board  the  vessel  he 
thought  was  not  so  much  want  of  strength  as  want  of  breath. 
Then  he  reviewed  the  winter  somewhat,  saying  that  he  had 
shrunk  from  rapid  walking  or  high  flights  of  stairs,  but  yet  had 
been  singularly  little  troubled  in  this  way,  but  climbing  that 
ladder  seemed  to  'break  him  all  up.'  Still,  he  evidently  thought 
of  it  as  a  temporary  inconvenience  only,  for  he  spoke  of  his 
loss  of  voice,  and  said  he  thought  he  saw  indications  that  he 
should  soon  recover  it.  Lying  down  again,  he  attempted  to 
read  a  newspaper,  but  soon  gave  it  up,  and  moving  close  against 
the  cabin,  asked  me  to  come  and  sit  on  the  mattress  close  to 
him,  where  we  could  talk  more  conveniently.  The  thought 
flashed  across  me  that  the  idea  might  have  occurred  to  him  that 
he  might  not  live  to  reach  home,  and  he  wanted  to  give  some 
directions  ;  but  when  I  took  the  seat  he  seemed  to  have  nothing 
to  say.     I  read  to  him  some  items  out  of  the  paper,  and  then 


THE  END.  383 

talked  abotit  our  return  home.     He  assented  to  what  I  said,  but 
said  nothing  himself.     I  have  since  thought  that  perhaps  by  the 
time  I  reached  his  side,  he  had  forgotten  why  he  wanted  me. 
Afer  a  while  I  told  him  I  was  crowding  him  too  much  for  a  warm 
day,  to  which  he  agreed,  and  I  went  back  to  my  seat  at  his  head. 
Up  to  this  time  my  courage  had  not  failed.     In  a  few  hours, 
I  thought,  we  would  be  on  board  the  '  Murray,'  where  he  would 
have  better  accommodations ;  we  should  sail  the  next  day,  and 
once  fairly  out  at  sea,  his  strength  would  return,  and  he  would 
see  his  home  again.     But   in   a   few  minutes  he  sat  up  again, 
leaning  his  back  against  the  cabin,  and  looking  off  at  an  island 
we  were  passing.     I  saw  that  his  breath  was  coming  very  quickly, 
almost  in  sobs,  and  he  made  some  remark  about  not  being  able 
to  see  much  there,  which  raised  the  fear  that  his  sight  might  be 
failing.     He  turned  to  me  and  again  asked  me  to  come  and  sit 
close  by  him.     I  sat  by  his  side  and  took  his  hand  ;  I  found  it 
quite  cold,  and  I  saw  that  his  nails  were  turning  purple.     He 
began  at  once  to  talk  about  Hayti.     He  spoke  easily,  but  his 
words  were  incoherent,  and  he  seemed  unconscious  that  he  was 
sliding  from  the  foot  of  the  mattress.     I  could  not  leave  him, 
but  as  soon  as  he  paused  I  called  to  the  Captain.     He  however 
did  not   hear  me.     The  Bishop  said,  '  Why  do  you  call   the 
Captain  ?'     I  told  him  that  the  Captain  might  help  him  to  a 
more  comfortable  position  on  the  mattress.     He  said  it  was  not 
necessary,  he  could  help  himself.     He,  however,  accepted  help 
from  me,  and  raised   himself  farther  on.     Then  finding  that  I 
did  not  release  my  hold  of  him,  he  gently  disengaged  his  arm, 
saying  with  a  sweet  smile,   '  You  must  not  treat  me  too  much 
like  an  invalid.'     He  put  his  finger  to  his  nose  as  if  he  thought 
he  had  the  salts,  which  he  was  accustomed  to  use  when  he  felt 
faint  or  weary.     I  handed  him  the  bottle.     He  used  it  and  re- 
turned it,  asking  if  it  was  his.     Then  he  said,   '  I  will  lie  down 
now.'     These  were  his  last  words.     I  took  my  place  again  at 
the  head  of  the  bed,  and  he  laid  himself  down  and  closed  his 
eyes  as  if  to  sleep,  but  in  a  moment  they  partly  opened,  and  I 
saw  that  the  light  was  gone  from  them.     I  knew  that  the  end 
had  come,  and  could  only  pray  that  there  might  be  no  painful 
struggle.     There  were  a  few  quick  sobs,  and  he  was  at  rest.     He 
died  April  23,  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

All  the  time  I  knew  that  he  was  dying,  but  I  could  not  tell 
him  so,  and  ask  a  farewell  word.  It  v/as  better  for  him  as  it 
was ;  for  it  would  have  distressed  him  greatly,  if  he  could  have 
known  how  he  was  leaving  me.  I  closed  his  eyes  myself,  and 
then  left  him  to  the  kind  offices  of  the  Captain,  who  did  all  that 
could  be  done.  Miragoane  was  then  in  sight,  and  the  Captain 
said  we  would  be  in  in  two  hours,  but  that  it  would  be  better  to 


384  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

carry  him  down  stairs  before  the  pilot  came  on  board.  There 
was  no  wind,  however,  and  we  could  not  enter  the  harbor,  and 
at  nightfall  they  made  up  a  bed  for  me  on  deck ;  and  on  the 
spot  where  he  had  fallen  asleep  in  Jesus,  I  lay  down  to  get  what 
rest  I  could.  The  next  morning  the  Captain  said  he  saw  no 
prospect  of  getting  in  before  night,  and  it  would  not  do  to  wait 
so  long  ;  he  therefore  proposed  sending  us  ashore  in  the  boat. 
They  laid  him  in  the  boat,  and  covered  him  with  the  ship's  flag. 
It  was  a  long  row  of  two  hours  and  a  half,  but  it  was  the  best 
thing  that  could  be  done,  for  the  brig  did  not  get  in  until  the 
next  evening.  I  told  Capt.  Mulligan  at  once  that  I  could  not 
leave  my  husband  there,  and  he  has  done  everything  for  me. 
I  could  not  have  fallen  into  better  hands.  We  lay  five  days  in 
port  before  the  ship  was  ready  to  sail.  The  details  of  the  pre- 
paration to  bring  the  body  home  were  so  painful,  that  at  times 
I  thought  it  would  be  easier  to  bury  him  there ;  but  I  knew  that 
when  it  was  all  over,  I  should  be  glad  that  I  had  persevered,  and 
if  I  left  him  there  I  should  never  cease  to  regret  it. 

He  never  dreamed  when  he  lay  down  on .  that  deck,  that  he 
would  wake  in  Paradise;  and  what  a  joyful,  glorious  surprise  it 
must  have  been  to  him  ! 

On  the  last  morning  of  his  life,  he  read,  as  usual  the  two 
chapters.  They  were  the  thirteenth  Psalm  containing  the  words 
'Lighten  mine  eyes,  lest  I  sleep  the  sleep  of  death,'  and  the 
23d  chapter  of  St.  Luke,  in  which  is  our  Saviour's  promise  to  the 
penitent  thief :  '  This  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise. ' 
The  last  selection  from  the  Psalter  which  he  read  on  the  pre- 
ceding day,  the  22d  day  of  the  month,  was  no  less  striking,  if  we 
consider  the  words  only,  and  forget  that  they  were  intended  as  a 
denunciation  :  '  Let  his  children  be  fatherless,  and  his  wife  a 
widow,  and  his  bishopric  let  another  take.'  " 


LVL 

TIDINGS  OF  THE  BISHOP'S  DEATH. 

It  would  be  in  vain  to  attempt  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  im- 
pression which  the  Bishop's  death  made  on  the  whole  community. 
Every  sign  of  public  and  private  mourning  was  exhibited.  When 
the  news  was  first  received  at  Gardiner,  the  bell  was  tolled  for 
an  hour,  and  again  when  his  remains  arrived ;  which  were  met  at 
the  depot  by  a  procession  of  citizens,  who  conveyed  them  to  the 
church,  where  they  remained  during  the  ten  days  that  passed 


TIDINGS  OF  THE  BISHOP'S  DEA  Til  385 

before  the  funeral  took  place.  Letters  of  condolence  and  sympa- 
thy came  to  his  family  from  those  who  were  also  mourners. 
From  these  it  is  needless  to  attempt  to  select  passages  for  publi- 
cation ;  but  a  few  sentences  will  be  given  from  letters  written 
after  the  first  flush  of  sympathy  had  subsided,  and  coming  from 
such  different  sources  as  to  show  how  far  he  was  from  being  re- 
garded as  belonging  to  any  party  in  the  Church. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Howe  wrote:  "Mrs.  H.  and  myself  always 
felt  it  a  high  privilege  to  receive  Bishop  Burgess  into  our  house. 
He  was  one  who  inspired  entire  confidence.  He  never  made  a 
frivolous  remark.  He  was  not  taciturn  nor  yet  loquacious.  He 
spoke  only  when  he  had  something  to  say  ;  and  few  subjects  could 
be  introduced  above  the  range  of  ordinary  gossip,  that  he  was 
not  qualified  to  speak  upon.  He  was  never  uncharitable,  though 
severely  just.  His  bravery  was  as  manifest  as  his  gentleness. 
He  dared  to  do  anything  that  he  believed  to  be  a  duty.  He 
uttered  his  opinions  with  such  careful  discrimination  and  free- 
dom from  passion,  that  they  carried  unusual  weight.  No  par- 
tisan of  whatever  extreme,  ever  felt  it  quite  safe  to  differ  with 
Bishop  Burgess,  and  so  his  influence  was  almost  universal :  not 
because  he  was  a  trimmer  or  a  go-between,  but  because  he  was 
upright  and  independent,  and  regarded  all  questions  on  their 
naked  merits. 

How  mysterious  that  such  a  light  was  withdrawn  from  the 
world  in  its  meridian  brightness  !  That  all  those  stores  of  learn- 
ing have  been  snatched  from  this  impoverished  world,  to  enrich  a 
sphere  where  there  was  no  need  !  In  the  face  of  such  perplexities, 
we  can  but  wait  until  our  darkness  shall  be  turned  to  light,  and 
God's  wisdom  and  goodness  are  approved  even  to  our  finite 
minds." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Tyng  wrote  :  "  He  possessed  my  reverence  and 
confidence  in  a  very  high  degree.  I  most  cordially  delighted 
in  the  purity  of  his  character,  his  childlike  godliness,  and  his 
unshrinking  fidelity  to  duty.  Such  a  character  becomes  a  most 
valuable  pattern  to  those  who  come  after  him.  Most  thankful 
should  I  be  to  participate  in  the  excellence  which  I  saw  in  him. 
Bishop  Burgess'  talents  and  attainments  were,  in  my  judgment, 
of  a  very  high  order.  His  accuracy  of  information  in  details 
was  equally  remarkable.  But  as  far  as  '  charity  which  edifieth' 
excels  '  knowledge  which  puffeth  up,'  so  much  more  precious 
and  honorable,  were  those  high  religious  qualifications,  which  so 
eminently  distinguished  him,  superior  to  all  talents  or  attainments 
of  a  mere  intellectual  worth.  It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  meet  him 
25 


S86  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

here  always.  It  will  be  a  greater  pleasure  to  meet  him  again 
where  we  may  separate  no  more." 

Bishop  Southgate  writes  of  him  "as  being  a  man  cast  in  a 
mould  of  his  own,  bearing  something  more  than  the  ordinary 
stamp  of  ordinary  humanity." 

Bishop  Whittingham,  in  answer  to  an  expression  which  had 
been  used  by  another,  and  which  implied  that  though  excellent 
friends,  they  were  sometimes  antagonists,  wrote  :  "I  had  never, 
to  my  recollection,  looked  upon  my  departed  brother,  even  for 
an  hour,  as  an  antagonist ;  greatly  as  I  have  repeatedly  felt  myself 
constrained  to  differ  from  him  in  judgment  of  men  and  measures. 
None  can  more  lament  the  loss  of  my  profoundly  respected 
and  beloved  associate  in  official  cares  and  responsibilities  than.  I 
do.  None,  I  think,  can  be  more  sensible  than  I  am  of  the  in- 
jury (to  human  estimate  irreparable),  which  the  counsels  of  the 
Church  must  suffer  by  the  removal  from  them  of  his  experienced 
wisdom,  keen  sagacity,  and  loving  simplicity  of  Christian  truth- 
fulness. But  I  lack  the  ability  and  the  means  to  do  justice  to 
the  noble  character,  which  has  nevertheless  left  an  indelible  im- 
pression on  my  heart." 

And  it  was  not  from  Churchmen  alone  that  such  expressions 
came,  but  similar  words  dropped  from  the  pens  of  others  who 
having  labored  by  his  side  and  witnessed  his  daily  walk,  had 
learned  to  respect  and  love  him  as  a  brother  in  Christ. 

From  the  various  resolutions  passed  by  different  societies  and 
parishes,  only  those  have  been  selected  for  insertion  in  this 
volume,  which  were  passed  by  the  Foreign  Committee  of  the 
Board  of  Missions. 


Extract  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Foreign  Committee,  May  28,  1866. 
DEATH  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

''Whereas,  by  the  decease  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  George  Burgess, 
D.D.,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine,  the  Church  is  called,  in 
the  Providence  of  God,  to  mourn  the  loss  of  one  of  her  best 
Bishops  ;  and  whereas  the  last  labors  of  his  life  we're  bestowed 
in  behalf  of  the  Foreign  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Missions, 
in  furthering  the  important  enterprise  of  the  mission  at  Hayti, 
the  Foreign  Comanittee  not  only  sharing  the  common  grief  of 
the  Church  but  mourning  their  peculiar  loss,  desire  to  record 
their  estimate  of  the  high  worth  of  the  character  and  life  of 
Bishop  Burgess,  and  do  therefore 

Resolve,  First :  That  in  our  remembrance  of  Bishop  Burgess, 


TIDINGS  OF  THE  BISHOP'S  DEATH  38 7 

we  recall  a  character  of  singular  exaltation  and  beauty.  With 
a  mind  clear,  fertile,  and  richly  furnished  with  the  fruits  of 
thought,  by  which  he  took  easy  rank  among  the  best  scholars 
and  writers  of  the  times,  he  consecrated  his  trained  powers 
wholly  to  the  work  and  ministry  of  the  Lord.  His  moral  sense 
was  so  true,  that  his  judgments  had  the  force  of  intuition,  and 
it  begat  a  life  so  pure  as  never  to  have  been  blamed. 

Springing  out  of  his  conscience  was  his  eminent  courage, 
which,  while  unaggressive,  was  yet  unflinching  in  maintaining 
the  right  that  he  so  clearly  perceived,  and  bearing  always  thus 
a  moral  dignity,  his  championship  always  honored  his  cause. 

With  these  bolder  .traits,  the  genial  and  the  gentle  were  so 
intimately  mixed,  as  made  him  prompt  and  winning  to  every 
form  and  intercourse  of  kindness. 

His  devoutness  was  so  constant,  that  we  can  hardly  think  of 
him  as  having  devotional  periods ;  his  zeal  so  steady,  as  not  to 
be  quickened  by  impulse ;  his  benevolence  so  fervid,  that  it 
could  burn  no  brighter  with  occasion. 

In  the  character  thus  rounded  and  balanced,  there  was  a 
native  nobility  of  manhood.  With  the  imprinted  power  of  grace 
and  self-consecration  to  God  and  acting  itself  out  in  unwearing 
labors,  it  gave  us  the  saintly  life  of  Bishop  Burgess  as  of  a  man 
who  literally  walked  with  God. 

Resolved,  therefore.  Secondly:  That  while  we,  in  common 
with  his  friends,  his  parish,  his  diocese,  and  the  Church  at 
large,  mourn  for  the  loss  of  the  wisdom,  the  purity,  the  sweet- 
ness of  piety  which  fix  his  place  high  up  among  revered  and 
saintly  men,  we  would  at  the  same  time  express  our  gratitude 
for  the  self-sacrificing  temper  which  constrained  him  to  conse- 
crate his  latest  labors  to  the  enlightening  of  the  dark  places  of 
the  earth  with  the  light  of  the  Gospel  which  he  loved. 

Resolved,  Thirdly:  That  the  Foreign  Committee  tender  to 
the  family  of  the  late  Bishop  Burgess  the  assurance  of  their 
profound  and  affectionate  sympathy. 

Copy  from  the  record.  Sam'l  D.   Denison, 

Secretary." 

A  short  tribute  is  added  from  an  oration  pronounced  a  year 
later  in  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  before  the  Connecticut  Beta 
of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society,  by  the  Rev.  William  Rudder, 
D.  D.,  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Philadelphia. 

Picturing  those  who  had  been  prominent  at  Trinity  College, 
when  he  some  years  before  had  been  a  student  in  its  walls,  he 
says : — 


388  .     MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

"  I  see  another  standing  by  this  altar — my  pastor,  my  gentle 
critic,  and  my  friend  ;  learned,  yet  hmiible,  so  humble  that  men 
guess  not  half  how  learned  he  is  ;  meek,  yet  firm,  so  firm  in 
what  he  believes  to  be  the  right  that  they  cannot  imagine  even 
the  wells  of  utter  tenderness  that  are  forever  springing  in  his 
breast ;  the  man  who,  of  all  I  have  ever  known,  seems  most 
constantly  to  live  in  an  atmosphere  of  heaven ;  the  Christian 
scholar,  the  Christian  poet,  the  Christian  priest,  soon  to  be  the 
Bishop  laboring,  as  such  an  one  as  he  must  labor,  through  his 
allotted  time,  and  then,  from  the  calm  surface  of  the  summer 
seas,  mounting  upward  to  his  rest  in  the  fiery  chariots  of  the 
tropic  sun." 


LVII. 
SERMON  OF  REVEREND  JOHN  T.  MAGRATH. 

On  the  Sunday  after  the  tidings  of  the  Bishop's  death  reached 
Gardiner,  which  was  Whitsunday,  Rev.  Mr.  Magrath,  Assistant 
Minister  to  the  Bishop,  preached  a  sermon  full  of  sorrow  and 
of  comfort. 

But  short  extracts  can  be  made. 

"St.  John  xiv.  i8:  'I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless;  I  will 
come  to  you.' 

May  the  Almighty  Saviour,  wl;o  will  never  forsake  the  afflicted 
and  the  fatherless,  help  us  to  feel  beneath  us  the  everlasting 
arms !  This  silent  pulpit  and  this  now  vacant  chair  tell  us  more 
loudly  than  can  any  voice  of  man,  that  he  who  for  so  many 
years  was  the  faithful  preacher  and  the  watchful  pastor,  will  fill 
them  no  more  forever. 

How  swiftly  and  overpovveringly  the  recollections  of  this  now 
hallowed  period  of  his  ministry,  which  so  endeared  him  to  this 
people,  come  crowding  in  upon  us.  We  have  seen  him,  speaking 
the  words  of  peace  to  the  representatives  of  a  former  generation, 
as  he  walked  with  them  in  their  declining  years  down  to  their 
last  resting-place.  We  have  heard  him,  as  he  so  ceaselessly,  so 
searchingly,  so  fervently,  and  yet  so  kindly,  delivered  the  mes- 
sage of  his  Lord  and  Master,  and  pointed  sinners  to  the  foun- 
tain of  salvation,  to  the  cross  of  Christ.  How  often,  at  this 
font,  has  he  poured  upon  the  heads  of  the  penitent,  'the  water 
of  regeneration,'  and  gently  folded  in  his  arms  the  tender  lambs 
of  the  flock.  It  seems,  even  now,  as  if  the  walls  of  this  sanc- 
tuary were  echoing  back  the  notes  of  that  voice,  never  to  be 


SERMON  OF  REV.  JOHN  T.  MAGRATH.  3^9 

forgotten,  which  so  constantly  offered  up  the  sacrifice  of  prayer 
and  praise  at  this  desk  and  altar. 

But  not  this  Church  alone  brings  him  back  to  the  bereaved. 
There  is  not  a  home  or  hearth,  without  its  memories  of  him, 
which  must  not  be  uttered.  The  chamber  of  sickness,  the  house 
of  mourning,  the  abode  of  misery,  will  ever  tell  us  of  the  min- 
ister of  consolation,  of  the  most  sympathizing  of  friends,  of  one 
foremost  in  his  endeavors  to  alleviate  suffering.  There  is  hardly 
a  house  in  this  wide  parish,  where  there  has  not  been  '  one 
dead,'  and  a  time  when  his  voice  sounded  beneath  its  roof  as  a 
voice  from  the  land  of  peace  and  light.  He  was  loved  every- 
where by  all.  The  mansion  of  the  rich  ever  welcomed  his 
entrance,  even  though  every  word  of  his  spread  a  chastening 
influence,  and  the  dwelling  of  the  poor  knew  no  more  frequent 
visitor,  no  more  cheering  guest. 

People  in  every  walk  of  life,  and  the  old  no  less  than  the 
young,  looked  upon  him  with  veneration.  Denominational 
limits  never  diminished  his  regard  for  others,  nor  did  those 
limits  seem  to  restrain  the  love  drawn  by  his  lofty  character, 
his  holy  life,  his  pious  deeds,  from  those  beyond  the  pale  of  our 
communion.  Love,  love  for  all  was  manifested  at  his  every 
step  !  Has  God  brought  this  peaceful,  blessed  ministry  to  its 
end  ?  Is  all  this  that  has  been  spoken,  of  the  past  ?  Shall  we 
never  more  behold  those  benign,  those  noble  features?  never 
more  listen  to  the  dearly  loved  tones  of  that  nourishing  voice  ? 
O,  Father  of  our  spirits,  breathe  within  us  of  thy  Spirit,  that  we 
may  bear  this  blow  !  O,  Physician  of  our  souls,  heal,  heal  the 
wound  thyself  hast  made  !  A  parish  without  a  pastor,  a  diocese 
without  a  head,  the  church  of  the  whole  land  with  a  strong 
pillar  prostrate  ! 

But  after  all  has  been  said,  how  empty  all  words  seem ;  how 
little  they  express  what  the  consciousness  of  each  one  testifies 
that  he  was  to  us.  The  void,  the  distressing  void,  that  has  been 
made,  can  never  be  filled  by  any  picture,  even  though  it  be 
true  to  the  life,  which  language  can  paint.  Now  the  work  of  the 
workman,  the  watching  of  the  watchman,  the  care  of  the  pastor, 
the  toil  of  the  preacher,  have  all  found  their  close  too  soon, 
too  early  for  us,  we  might  well  say,  were  it  not  in  God's  own 
time.  He  like  the  Apostle  '  very  gladly  spent  and  was  spent 
for  us.'  His  life  was  given  to  his  parish  and  his  diocese,  and 
in  being  given  thus  was  given  to  his  Maker.  He  not  only 
proved  that  '  it  is  a  true  saying.  If  a  man  desire  the  office  of  a 
bishop,  he  desireth  a  good  work,'  but  through  the  grace  of 
Christ,  he  so  fulfilled  the  precepts  of  the  inspired  word  relating 
to  that  office,  that  he  became  a  bright  example  for  all  Christian 
Ministers.     For  all  things,  with  a  humility  remarkable  even  in 


390  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

the  lowliest,  he  was  always  ready  to  say,  '  Give  the  glory  to 
God  ;'  and  yet  with  a  perseverance  and  diligence  seldom  wit- 
nessed, he  pressed  forward  in  the  course  of  his  duty.  He  toiled 
for  us,  my  brethren,  long  after  he  had  stepped  upon  the  path  of 
decline.  The  cords  of  affection,  which  united  him  to  his  parish 
and  his  parish  to  him,  were  inwoven  with  the  very  fibres  of  our 
being.  He  could  bear  the  thought  of  anything  rather  than  of 
separation  from  those  whom  he  loved  so  deeply,  and  for  whose 
well-being  he  was  willing  to  sacrifice  his  all. 

His  labor  lasted  while  life  lasted  :  with  him  there  was  indeed 
no  discharge  from  the  conflict.  It  was  his  heartfelt  desire  to 
remain  among  us,  and  maintain  the  pastoral  relation,  even  when 
his  voice  had  failed  ;  but  the  Providence  of  God  seemed  to  point 
to  greener  shores  and  a  milder  climate.  When  at  length  he  yielded 
it  was  only  in  the  firm  hope  that  his  health  might  be  restored, 
and  he  return  to  labor  more  abundantly  than  ever  in  the  vine- 
yard of  the  Lord.  After  his  Diocese  and  his  country  were  left 
far  behind  him,  still  the  work  for  Christ  went  on.  In  the  islands 
of  the  ocean,  with  joy  at  realizing  the  truth  of  ancient  prophesy, 
while  a  traveller  and  an  invalid,  '  he  ceased  not  to  teach  and 
preach  Jesus  Christ,'  to  baptize,  to  confirm,  and  to  ordain;  truly, 
while  his  armor  was  burnished  for  continuance  of  the  warfare 
against  Satan  and  sin,  the  great  Captain  of  the  hosts  called  him, 
who  on  earth  allowed  himself  no  rest,  to  that  everlasting  '  rest 
which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God  ;'  called  him  who  here 
sought  no  reward,  to  receive  the  crown  of  righteousness,  which 
is  laid  up  for  those  servants  of  the  Lord,  who  have  '  fought  a  good 
fight,  who  have  finished  their  course,  who  have  kept  the  faith.' 

He  had  turned  his  face  homeward,  and  the  Avaters  of  the  ocean 
were  bearing  him  towards  that  flock  for  which  his  heart  was 
ever  yearning,  when  'his  hour  was  come.'  But  his  weakness 
increased,  his  breath  grew  shorter  and  fainter,  and  '  let  me  lie 
down'  could  at  last  break  even  from  his  lips.  On  the  gentle 
waves  of  the  Southern  Sea,  he  was  rocked  to  his  last  slumber, 
and  without  a  pain  or  a  sigh,  '  falling  asleep  in  Jesus,'  he  awoke 
not  until  in  the  realms  of  glory.  For  us,  oh  for  us,  my  dear 
brethren,  there  is  loss,  loss  irreparable ;  for  him,  only  gain, 
gain  eternal.  That  blessed  experience  was  his,  which  as  a  bright 
dream  he  once  described  in  those  sweetly  breathing  lines  : — 

'  But  oh,  with  what  a  bounding  thrill, 
I  felt  the  airs  that  never  chill, 
The  strength  that  knows  not  years. 
No  cloud  in  all  the  heaven's  sweet  blue; 
No  more  of  doubt,  where  all  was  true  ; 
No  death  to  close  the  longing  view ; 
No  dream  of  future  tears  !' 


FUNERAL  SERVICES.  391 

We  can  but  offer  siii)plications  from  our  inmost  souls,  that 
while  the  gracious  Spirit  from  on  high  comes  to  comfort,  to  sus- 
tain, and  to  guide.  He  may  also  endue  us  with  the  will  and  the 
strength  to  follow  that  instruction,  to  walk  by  that  counsel,  to 
imitate  that  example.  Remember,  my  Christian  brethren,  how 
he  lived  the  life  of  Christ.  Remember  his  charity.  Remember 
his  humility.  Remember  his  'moderation.'  Remember  his 
holy  zeal  for  the  Master.  Remember  his  faith.'  When  that 
calm  and  noble  countenance,  upon  which  your  eyes  have  so  long 
rested,  comes  before  you,  in  the  Church,  at  your  toil,  or  in  the 
deep  quiet  of  your  homes,  think  upon,  and  as  you  think,  resolve 
ever  to  obey,  the  admonition  of  the  Apostle  St.  Paul:  '  Remem- 
ber them  which  had  the  rule  over  you,  who  have  spoken  unto  you 
the  word  of  God,  whose  faith  follow,  considering  the  end  of  their 
conversation.'  My  ciear  friends,  our  beloved  Bishop,  on  a  day 
still  fresh  in  the  remembrance  of  you  all,  said  at  this  chancel 
rail,  'If  I  never  speak  to  you  again,  obey  the  Gospel.'  How 
those  words  this  day  ring  through  this  Sanctuary,  ring  in  every 
ear  !  Hearts  which  have  continued  hard  until  now  must  melt 
to  day  !  If  there  be  one  here  in  the  presence  of  his  God,  who 
has  heard  for  long  years  the  message  of  the  living  ambassador, 
but  thus  far  has  given  no  heed,  listen,  listen  in  this  hour  to  him, 
'  who  being  dead  yet  speaketh.'     Amen." 


LVIII. 

FUNERAL  SERVICES  AND  ADDRESS. 

"On  the  day  appointed  for  the  solemnities  of  the  burial  of  the 
departed  Bishop  (May  30,  1866),  the  Standing  Committee  of  the 
Diocese,  and  a  large  number  of  the  clergy  of  this  and  other 
dioceses,  assembled  at  Gardiner,  with  a  crowd  of  citizens. 

The  burial  service  was  read  in  the  following  order:  The  sen- 
tences on  entering  the  church,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Thomas  M. 
Clark,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Rhode  Island,  leading  the  procession 
of  the  clergy  in  surplices ;  the  lesson  by  the  Rev.  William  W. 
Niles,  Professor  in  Trinity  College,  Hartford,  Conn. ;  and  the 
139th  hymn  was  announced  by  the  Rev.  William  R.  Babcock, 
D.D. ,  of  Jamaica  Plains,  Mass.  The  commemorative  address  was 
delivered  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Clark.  The  201st  hymn  was 
announced  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  F.  Fales,  of  Waltham,  Mass., 
who  also  concluded  the  service  in  the  church  with  appropriate 
collects. 

In  the  removal  of  the  body  to  the  cemetery  adjoining  the 


392  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

church,  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese  officiated  as  pall  bearers,  and 
the  wardens  and  vestry  of  Christ  Church,  Gardiner,  with  the 
lay  members  of  the  Standing  Committee  as  body  bearers. 

The  sentences  at  the  grave  were  read  by  the  Rev.  William  S. 
Chadwell,  of  Catskill,  N.  Y. ;  the  committal  by  Bishop  Clark ; 
the  following  prayers  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Babcock  ;  and  the  apos- 
tolic benediction  was  pronounced  by  Bishop  Clark.  All  the 
officiating  clergy  had  been  members  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine. 

The  setting  sun  was  throwing  its  rays  over  these  solemnities, 
as  the  remains  of  the  beloved  Bishop  were  left  'to  await  that 
glorious  resurrection  in  which  he  so  truly  believed,  and  for 
which  he  so  constantly  urged  men  to  prepare.'  " 

The  following  is  the  address  delivered  by  Bishop  Clark,  of 
Rhode  Island. 

"A  great  and  good  man  has  been  taken  from  the  earth.  A 
faithful  soldier  of  Christ  has  entered  into  his  rest. 

It  requires  a  keen  appreciation  of  Christian  ex(^ellence  for  one 
to  form  a  just  estimate  of  such  a  character  as  his.  To  give  the 
outline  of  his  biography  is  an  easy  task,  for  that  was  calm  and 
uneventful ;  but  to  lay  open  the  inward  experiences  of  his  heart, 
to  analyze  the  workings  of  his  acute  mind,  to  appreciate  the 
force  of  his  sturdy  will,  to  penetrate  the  spiritual  depths  of  his 
being ;  few  men  are  competent  to  do  this.  I  wish  that  it  had 
devolved  upon  some  one  who  moved  upon  the  same  lofty 
spiritual  plane  where  the  feet  of  our  departed  brother  ever 
stood,  to  discharge  the  duty  which  I  am  called  to  fulfil. 

Bishop  Burgess  was  the  son  of  the  late  Hon.  Thomas  Burgess, 
for  many  years  Judge  of  the  Municipal  Court  in  the  city  of 
Providence,  Rhode  Island.  He  was  born  on  the  31st  of  Octo- 
ber, 1809,  and  during  his  boyhood  was  distinguished  for  his 
industry  and  intense  devotion  to  study.  He  was  an  incessant 
reader  from  the  earliest  dawn  of  his  intellect,  and  graduated 
with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class  at  Brown  University,  at  the 
age  of  seventeen.  He  then  entered  upon  the  study  of  the  law 
in  the  office  of  his  father,  and  after  completing  the  full  course 
of  three  years,  was  appointed  tutor  in  the  University  of  which 
he  was  a  graduate.  At  this  time  his  thoughts  were  more  than 
usually  arrested  by  religious  truths,  and  the  duty  which  he  owed 
his  God  and  Saviour  so  impressed  his  mind,  that  he  determined 
to  relinquish  the  profession  for  which  he  had  qualified  himself, 
and  devote  his  life  to  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry.  He 
accordingly  entered  upon  theological  study  under  the  direction 
of  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  Nathan  B.  Crocker,  D.D.,  then  at  the 
height  of  his  maturity,  and  who,  after  having  survived  all  his 


COMMEMORATIVE  ADDRESS.  393 

contemporaries  in  the  ministry  of  the  Church,  has  within  a  few 
months  been  called  to  his  reward.  After  awhile  Mr.  Burgess 
went  abroad  in  order  to  complete  his  preparation  for  the  sacred 
work  to  which  he  was  looking  forward,  and  remained  in  Europe 
for  three  years,  studying  and  attending  lectures  for  a  portion  of 
the  time  in  the  Universities  of  Berlin,  Bonn,  and  Gottingen. 
On  his  return  home  he  was  admitted  to  Deacon's  Orders  du- 
ring the  month  of  June,  1834,  by  Bishop  Griswold,  in  Grace 
Church,  Providence.  On  the  second  day  of  the  following  No- 
vember, he  was  ordained  to  the  Priesthood  by  Bishop  Brownell, 
in  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  on  the  same  day  was 
instituted  as  Rector  of  that  Church.  In  this  parish  he  continued 
to  exercise  the  duties  of  the  ministry,  until  his  appointment  to 
the  office  of  Bishop  in  the  Diocese  of  Maine,  his  consecration 
taking  place  in  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  on  the  31st  of  October, 
1847.  At  the  same  time  he  became  Rector  of  Christ  Church, 
Gardiner,  and  continued  to  discharge  the  duties  of  this  parish, 
as  well  as  of  his  Diocese,  until  the  period  of  his  death. 

It  became  evident  during  the  last  summer  that  the  unremitting 
labors  of  Bishop  Burgess,  who  never  allowed  himself  recreation 
of  body  or  rest  of  mind,  were  beginning  to  tell  upon  his  natu- 
rally hardy  constitution ;  and  after  the  adjournment  of  the 
General  Convention  in  October,  where  he  appeared  in  his  place 
every  day  and  manifested  as  much  activity  and  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Church  as  ever,  under  the  urgent  advice  of  his 
physician  and  friends  he  sought  the  repose,  which  he  would 
have  been  very  reluctant  to  take  if  he  had  remained  at  home,  in 
a  foreign  and  more  congenial  climate.  The  winter  was  passed 
in  the  islands  of  the  tropics,  not  altogether  in  inactivity;  for 
such  was  his  nature  and  habit,  that  so  long  as  he  had  any 
strength  to  work,  he  was  certain  to  exercise  it  wherever  he  had 
the  opportunity.  After  the  organs  of  speech  had  almost  lost 
their  power,  he  preached,  and  administered  Confirmation,  and 
although  he  was  able  to  speak  only  in  a  whisper,  by  the  force 
of  his  will  managed  to  make  that  whisper  audible.  The  time  at 
length  came,  to  which  he  had  looked  forward  with  such  longing, 
when  he  was  once  more  to  turn  his  face  homeward.  Loving  as 
he  did  his  own  field  of  labor  so  fervently,  and  with  such  tender 
associations  gathering  around  his  own  home,  we  can  imagine 
with  what  eagerness  he  waited  for  the  breeze  that  was  to  bear 
him  again  to  his  native  land.  But  his  native  land  he  was  des- 
tined never  to  see  again.  On  the  bosom  of  the  deep,  as  he  lay 
on  the  open  deck  with  his  face  turned  heavenward,  without 
warning  and  without  a  struggle,  suddenly  his  liberated  soul  fled 
from  the  earthly  tabernacle  and  lived  with  Jesus. 

This  is  the  brief  and  simple  story  of  his  outer  life,  placid,  un- 


394  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

eventful,  equable;  and  so  too  for  the  most  part  was  his  inner 
life,  moving  on  peacefully,  a  calmly-flowing  stream,  unbroken 
by  rough  and  precipitous  rocks,  keeping  always  within  its  ap- 
pointed banks,  and  all  along  adding  to  its  volume  and  depth 
from  the  tributary  supplies  which  constantly  poured  into  it. 

Bishop  Burgess'  natural  endowments  were  much  above  the 
ordinary  standard.  He  always  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree 
the  gift  of  application,  which  is  in  itself  a  talent  of  great  value. 
Whatever  subject  he  took  in  hand,  he  mastered  it  thoroughly. 
When,  some  years  since,  a  little  anonymous  work  from  his  pen 
appeared,  entitled  'A  Few  Pages  from  the  Ecclesiastical  History 
of  New  England,'  the  question  was  asked  at  once  in  all  quarters. 
Who  is  there  that  has  had  the  opportunity  and  the  patience  to 
ferret  out  all  the  obscure  facts  brought  to  light  in  this  publica- 
tion, and  the  wonderful  skill  to  arrange  and  present  them  so 
ably  and  effectively? 

After  reading  his  unique  and  extraordinary  book  on  the  sub- 
ject of  death,  called  '  The  Last  Enemy  Conquering  and  Con- 
quered,' in  which  there  is  compressed  an  amazing  amount  of 
information  on  all  the  phenomena  of  dissolution,  I  remarked  to 
him  that  I  wondered  how  he  could  ever  have  collected  such  a 
mass  of  peculiar  and  minute  material;  when  he  replied,  that  if 
I  could  see  the  quantity  of  matter  which  he  had  thrown  aside  in 
the  preparation  of  the  work,  perhaps  my  wonder  would  be  much 
greater.  '  He  was  a  singular  man  in  this  respect,  that  he  would 
go  down  under  ground  in  search  of  hidden  veins  of  ore  that 
nobody  else  had  ever  thought  of  exploring,  and  when  he  had 
struck  a  vein,  he  worked  until  it  was  exhausted.  Then  he 
would  come  up  into  the  daylight,  and  looking  round  upon  the 
beauties  of  the  earth  and  the  sky,  take  his  harp  and  sing  of 
God's  glory  in  the  flower  and  the  crystal  stream  and  the  golden 
clouds,  as  though  poetry  were  the  atmosphere  which  he  habitu- 
ally breathed  and  the  most  natural  utterance  of  his  mind. 
Looking  at  him  in  one  aspect  you  would  say,  this  man  is  a  de- 
posit of  statistics,  a  patient  collector  of  facts,  a  simply  practical 
man ;  from  another  point  of  view,  he  seemed  to  be  full  of  deli- 
cate fancies,  with  all  the  cords  of  his  being  strung  to  music. 

The  last  time  that  I  heard  him  preach,  he  took  for  his  theme 
the  Ritual  of  the  Church.  The  discourse  was  an  able  and  im- 
pressive argument  for  the  prayer  book,  draped  in  gold  and  ver- 
milion ;  or,  to  use  a  more  appropriate  illustration,  it  was  a  kind 
of  rhythmical  chant,  and  might  have  been  fitly  accompanied  with 
psaltery  and  cymbal  and  organ.  His  poetry  was  never  prose, 
although  his  prose  was  sometimes,  not  always,  poetry;  and 
some  of  the  lyrics  which  broke  from  him  during  his  earlier 
years,  at  a  period  of  high  excitement,  when  the  red  hand  of 


COMMEMORATIVE  ADDRESS.  395 

civil  war  threatened   to  deluge  his  native  State  with  blood,  are 
among  the  household  words  in  Rhode  Island.      .      .      .      .      .  _ 

Although  he  possessed  this  singular  combination  of  opposite 
elements,  there  was  nothing  incongruous  in  his  intellectual  or- 
ganization :  on  the  contrary,  the  prevailing  impression  which  he 
left  upon  your  mind  was  that  of  a  man  peculiarly  well-balanced 
and  symmetrical. 

In  surveying  the  personal  character  of  Bishop  Burgess,  the 
first  thing  that  would  attract  notice  and  fasten  itself  upon  you, 
was  the  clear  and  unmistakable  evidence  of  his  indomitable  in- 
tegrity. It  was  contrary  to  his  nature  that  he  should  ever  do 
violence  to  his  own  conscience.  The  general  confidence  in  his 
honesty  was  in  great  part  the  secret  of  his  extensive  and  powerful 
influence.  You  might  sometimes  think  that  he  was  wrong  in  his 
convictions,  but  you  could  not  doubt  that  they  were  his  real 
convictions,  and  you  might  rely  upon  it  that  he  would  act  ac- 
cordingly. For  with  this  integrity  he  had  also  an  iron  will, 
which  nothing  could  break  and  nothing  could  bend,  when  it 
had  taken  its  direction.  He  might  suffer  in  the  discharge  of 
what  he  felt  to  be  a  duty ;  but  if  he  did,  he  would  suffer  and 
make  no  sign.  This  sometimes  led  people  to  suppose  that  he 
was  cold-hearted,  whereas  his  soul  was  tender  as  a  child's,  and 
he  would  not  let  a  worm  suffer,  if  he  could  help  it.  It  is  true 
that  he  did  not  always  meet  you  with  those  outbursts  of  demon- 
strative affection  in  which  some  persons  allow  their  feelings  to 
evaporate ;  but  if  you  were  in  trouble  and  he  could  lift  the  bur- 
den from  your  shoulders,  he  would  do  it  at  any  cost  to  himself. 

He  was  by  nature  of  a  somewhat  quick  and  excitable  temper, 
but  Divine  grace  had  taught  him  how  to  curb  it,  and  you  would 
hardly  suspect  that  this  was  a  prominent  trait  in  his  character, 
unless  you  happened  to  see  him  when  his  eye  kindled  with  holy 
indignation  at  some  palpable  meanness  or  outrageous  violation 
of  justice.  The  general  serenity  of  his  demeanor  might  lead 
some  persons  to  under-estimate  the  force  of  his  character ;  but 
his  virtues  were  by  no  means  of  a  negative  sort,  and  he  was  as 
positive  and  persistent  as  he  was  quiet  and  reserved. 

He  could  comprehend  and  tolerate  an  honest  difference  of 
opinion,  but  in  order  to  this  he  needed  to  be  satisfied  that  it  was 
an  honest  difference.  He  had  an  instinctive  abhorrence  of  every- 
thing like  show  and  affectation ;  in  private  or  in  public  you  never 
felt  that  he  was  saying  or  doing  anything  for  effect.  He  dreamed 
of,  and  projected  no  grand  schemes  which  perished  in  the  plan- 
ning, and  indulged  in  no  ebullitions  of  feeling  which  came  to 
nothing. 

There  are  some  men  of  marked  ability  who  manifest  in  their 
demeanor  an  habitual  consciousness  of  the  fact ;  their  quiet  as- 


396  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

sumption  of  prerogatives,  and  air  of  superiority  in  dealing  with 
their  inferiors  may  not  be  specially  offensive  or  intrusive,  but 
are  still  prominent  enough  to  be  noticed  and  felt.  In  Bishop 
Burgess  there  was  nothing  of  this.  There  was  no  gracious  con- 
descension in  his  manner,  no  bending  down  as  from  a  lofty 
height  to  greet  you,  no  ostentation  of  civility,  no  show  of  humi- 
lity, and  this  because  he  had  such  a  natural  simplicity  that  he 
did  not  think  about  himself  at  all. 

In  public  debate  he  was  firm  as  a  rock  when  any  great  prin- 
ciple was  at  stake,  and  it  was  hard  to  blind  him  or  turn  him  aside 
by  raising  any  false  issues ;  but  he  was  never  overbearing,  never 
reluctant  to  listen  to  the  arguments  of  his  adversary,  and  give 
them  due  consideration,  never  ridiculed  or  exulted  over  an  op- 
ponent, and  never  seemed  to  care  for  victory,  merely  for  the 
sake  of  victory.  Whenever  he  had  occasion  to  administer  re- 
buke, he  did  it  in  such  terms  and  with  such  a  manner  as  indicated 
how  much  he  suffered  under  the  necessity,  and  how  anxious  he 
was,  as  far  as  possible,  to  spare  the  feelings  of  the  offender. 

In  recalling  his  general  characteristics,  the  one  thought  which 
leaves  the  deepest  impression  is  this ;  what  a  true  man  he  Avas  ! 
Because  he  was  so  true  you  always  knew  where  to  find  him ;  and 
wherever  you  did  find  him,  you  also  knew  that  he  would  be 
sure  to  stand,  so  long  as  he  thought  it  his  duty  to  stand  there. 

There  are  not  many  men  who  can  bear  being  seen  through,  as 
he  could  ;  and  if  I  were  to  write  his  epitaph  in  a  single  word, 
that  word  would  be,  Trustworthy. 

The  peculiar  traits  of  his  natural  character  were  all  strikingly 
manifested  in  his  religious  life.  He  was  not  clad  with  piety  as 
with  a  garment  which  he  put  on  and  off  at  seasons ;  his  religion 
was  not  an  appendage  to  the  man,  something  factitious  and,  in 
certain  respects,  inconsistent  with  the  general  tone  of  his  charac- 
ter': it  was  a  living  power  which  pervaded  his  whole  being,  re- 
fined and  elevated  all  the  processes  of  his  intellect,  and  sanctified 
all  the  motives  and  desires  of  his  heart.  It  was  not  a  fitful, 
spasmodic  piety;  not  a  coruscation  of  brilliant  hopes  followed 
by  seasons  of  murky  darkness ;  his  faith  shone  rather  like  a 
beacon  light  on  the  rock,  with  a  clear  and  steady  flame,  alike  in 
the  storm  and  in  the  calm. 

It  was  both  a  principle  and  a  feeling  ;  it  was  a  principle,  be- 
cause it  was  based  upon  reflection  and  knowledge ;  he  was  fa- 
miliar with  all  that  could  be  said  to  the  injury  of  the  Gospel, 
but  no  cloud  ever  came  between  him  and  his  Saviour :  it  was  a 
feeling,  for  it  was  based  upon  experience ;  he  had  found  Christ 
so  precious  to  his  soul,  that  nothing  could  separate  him  from  the 
love  of  Jesus.  His  piety  did  not  intrude  upon  you  in  the  forced 
and  technical  use  of  pious  phrases,  but  it  gave  a  chastened  and 


COMMEMORATIVE  ADDRESS.  397 

hallowed  tone  to  all  his  conversation,  as  it  did  to  all  the  conduct 
of  his  life. 

No  one  ever  suspected  him  of  feeling  less  than  he  expressed, 
and  no  one  ever  detected  any  open  inconsistencies  between  his 
profession  and  his  practice ;  whatever  other  failings  he  may  have 
had,  no  one  ever  charged  him  with  hypocrisy.  He  was  earnest, 
but  not  impassioned ;  faithful,  but  not  intrusive  ;  serious,  but 
not  sullen  \  scrupulous,  without  any  Pharisaic  rigor. 

While  he  was  the  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  his  time 
was  divided  between  his  study,  his  church,  and  the  houses  of  his 
parishioners,  and  no  one  knew  that  he  ever  passed  an  idle  hour. 
There  are  few  clergymen  who  study  as  much  and  write  as  much 
as  he  did,  and  there  are  few  who  visit  their  flock  as  frequently. 
He  sympathized  with  them  in  every  joy  and  in  every  sorrow. 
He  came  as  an  angel  of  counsel  to  the  bedside  of  the  sick,  and 
as  a  messenger  of  comfort  to  the  household  of  the  bereaved. 
After  he  left  Hartford,  when  the  hand  of  affliction  fell  upon  the 
people,  they  wanted  Bishop  Burgess  to  come  to  them  in  their 
grief  and  minister  to  them. 

He  was  one  of  the  most  indefatigable  sermon-writers  in  the 
land ;  a  certain  portion  of  every  day  was  devoted  to  this  work, 
and  the  close  of  the  week  never  found  him  hurried  or  unpre- 
pared for  the  duties  of  the  pulpit.  His  discourses,  ever  fresh 
and  new,  were  well-digested,  varied  in  form  and  subject,  in- 
structive, and  full  of  the  truth  and  unction  of  the  Gospel.  His 
manner  was  not  specially  graceful,  and  his  elocution  not  particu- 
larly impressive ;  but  there  was  an  earnestness  in  his  utterance, 
a  thoughtfulness  and  research  in  his  composition,  and  oftentimes 
a  beauty  and  richness  in  his  style,  which  made  the  hearer  obli- 
vious of  all  defects.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  carefully  ex- 
plored and  mastered  the  subject  which  he  handled,  and  that  he 
felt  the  solemnity  and  truth  of  what  he  uttered.  As  a  preacher 
he  kept  on  growing  from  the  beginning,  and  was  more  popular 
in  the  pulpit  during  the  closing  years  of  his  life  than  ever  be- 
fore. 

Those  who  heard  his  address  last  winter  at  the  funeral  of 
Bishop  Brownell,  cannot  fail  to  remember  with  what  exquisite 
delicacy  of  perception  he  seized  upon  the  peculiar  traits  in  the 
character  of  that  venerable  and  saintly  man,  and  with  what 
nicety  of  coloring  he  depicted  the  beauty  and  simplicity  of  his 
life.  And  yet  I  am  told  that  this  address  was  written  on  Sunday 
evening,  after  the  public  labors  of  the  day  were  over. 

When  our  departed  brother  became  Bishop  of  Maine,  he  rose 
at  once  with  the  emergency,  and  soon  manifested  a  range  of 
abilities  which  astonished  even  those  who  had  expected  most 


398  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

from  him.  With  all  the  other  duties  which  of  necessity  crowded 
upon  him,  he  continued  to  be  just  as  devoted  a  pastor,  and  just 
as  diligent  a  preacher  in  the  parish  where  he  ministered,  as  he 
was  when  these  were  his  only  vocation. 

And  how  thorough  he  has  been  in  the  discharge  of  all  his 
episcopal  functions,  you,  my  brethren  of  the  clergy  and  laity, 
do  not  need  that  I  should  testify.  He  had  one  eminent  qualifi- 
cation for  the  office  of  a  Bishop,  and  that  was  the  catholic  spirit 
which  enabled  him  to  recognize,  and  inclined  him  to  use,  all 
the  various  gifts  of  men  ;  allowing  to  others  the  same  liberty  of 
private  judgment  in  regard  to  things  incidental  and  subordinate, 
which  he  claimed  for  himself.  His  position  in  respect  of  parties 
in  the  Church  allowed  him  to  do  this  without  inconsistency.  He 
was  by  nature  too  free  and  independent  in  his  modes  of  thought; 
he  had  been  too  diligent  a  student  in  the  history  of  doctrine, 
and  his  studies  had  led  him  over  too  wide  a  range  in  the  great 
field  of  knowledge,  to  make  it  possible  for  him  to  be  trammelled 
by  the  rigid  and  cast-iron  shackles  of  party. 

He  was  a  Churchman  in  such  a  sense  that  he  loved  the 
Church  with  all  his  heart ;  believed  most  thoroughly  in  her 
doctrines,  worship,  polity,  and  apostolical  constitution  ;  wrote 
valuable  and  convincing  works  in  defence  of  her  principles  and 
in  explanation  of  her  usages  ;  gave  all  his  time  and  all  his  ener- 
gies to  her  work ;  and  this,  I  take  it,  indicates  genuine,  earnest, 
sound  Churchmanship.  It  was  not  in  accordance  with  his  taste 
to  hurl  anathemas  into  other  camps  of  the  Lord,  and  he  thought 
it  better  to  invite  those  who  are  without,  to  enter  our  commu- 
nion with  gentle  and  winning  words,  than  to  repel  them  by 
acrid  denunciation.  He  offered  no  compromises,  kept  back 
nothing  which  it  was  needful  and  right  to  say,  while  he  was 
uniformly  careful  to  give  no  superfluous  occasion  of  offence. 
His  tastes  as  well  as  his  opinions  were  strongly  wedded  to  the 
peculiarities  of  his  own  communion ;  he  loved  her  solemn  ways, 
and  fully  appreciated  the  spiritual  benefits  as  well  as  the  doctrinal 
conservatism,  secured  by  her  venerable  ritual. 

It  is  not  his  fault  that  a  radical  change  for  the  better  was  not 
long  since  introduced  into  our  service,  in  the  only  particular 
where  it  is  seriously  defective.  He  labored  long  and  earnestly 
for  the  introduction  by  authority  of  a  collection  of  hymns,  into 
which  the  rich  treasures  of  ancient  and  modern  lyrical  composi- 
tion might  be  gathered  ;  and  I  think  most  persons  will  allow 
that  his  own  metrical  version  of  the  Psalms  would  be  a  great 
improvement  upon  that  now  in  use.  I  never  heard  any  one 
deny  that  he  received  the  pure  and  unadulterated  doctrines  of 
the  Gospel  in  their  simplicity,  and  preached  those  doctrines 
faithfully,  earnestly,  and  emphatically.     It  does  not  appear  that 


COMMEMORATIVE  ADDRESS.  399 

he  regarded  any  human  digest  or  system  of  theology  as  exhaus- 
tive of  the  truth,  or  that  he  was  ever  claimed  as  a  follower  of 
any  leader  but  Christ  and- His  inspired  Apostles.  He  was  not 
averse  to  controversy  where  a  fundamental  doctrine  was  as- 
sailed ;  but  he  did  not  attach  special  importance  to  many  of  the 
subtle  points  of  casuistical  Divinity,  about  which  theologians 
have  disputed.  He  was  on  terms  of  fraternal  intimacy  with 
men  of  all  recognized  and  tolerated  shades  of  belief  in  the 
Church,  and  was  beloved  and  trusted  by  all.  His  character 
would  have  given  him  power  and  influence,  with  whatever 
school  he  might  have  been  associated ;  but  his  views  were  so 
well  balanced  and  comprehensive  that,  under  no  provocation, 
could  he  have  become  a  violent  theological  partisan. 

The  whole  public  and  private  character  of  Bishop  Burgess 
was  both  subdued  and  intensified  by  the  spirit  of  habitual  and 
sincere  devotion.  He  lived  in  daily  and  hourly  communion 
with  God;  he  did  nothing  without  seeking  Divine  direction,  and 
prayer  came  spontaneously  from  his  heart.  He  was  a  godly 
man,  inasmuch  as  he  made  his  own  will  subservient  to  that  of 
God,  and  was  ready  to  do  whatever  his  Master  demanded  of 
him.  In  the  days  of  martyrdom  he  would  not  have  shrunk  from 
the  stake,  for  he  sometimes  took  up  what  was  to  him  a  heavier 
cross  than  death. 

In  the  prime  of  his  days,  before  his  threescore  years  were  ac- 
complished, this  great  and  good  man  has  been  taken  away. 
What  a  void  he  has  left  in  the  household  circle  !  Such  a  hus- 
band, such  a  father,  such  a  brother;  how  he  must  be  mourned  ! 
We  know  that  it  is  all  well  with  him,  we  have  not  a  fear  or  a 
doubt  as  to  his  destiny,  but  still  it  is  a  very  heavy  blow  that  has 
fallen  upon  you.  His  pleasant  smile,  his  affectionate  greetings, 
his  kind  counsels ;  these  will  gladden  and  direct  you  no  more. 
The  shadow  lies  across  your  threshold,  not  unrelieved  by  rays 
of  celestial  light,  and  yet  the  shadow  is  there.  God  has  laid 
upon  you  a  sore  trial,  but  He  will  give  you  strength  to  bear  it. 
You  will  listen  no  more  to  hear  his  familiar  step,  but  he  waits  to 
hear  your  footstep  in  the  streets  of  the  celestial  city.  Your 
earthly  home  will  be  his  no  longer,  but  his  heavenly  home  may 
be  yours  forever.  Do  not  think  of  him  as  dead.  He  lives  more 
truly  than  he  ever  did  before ;  his  duties  are  nobler,  his  aspira- 
tions purer,  his  thoughts  more  transcendent,  and  he  wears  a 
whiter  robe,  for  it  is  now  all  washed  clean  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.  He  sings  such  a  song  as  it  never  entered  into  his  heart 
to  conceive  while  he  dwelt  here.  His  cares  and  anxieties  and 
toils  are  all  ended,  and  his  dust  is  now  to  be  consigned  to  the 
dust  as  it  was,  but  his  pure  spirit  has  returned  to  God  who 
gave  it. 


400  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

There  are  many  in  the  community  beside  his  own  family  circle, 
who  mourn  the  loss  of  a  wise  counsellor,  a  trusty  friend,  and  a 
faithful  Pastor.  For  nearly  twenty  years  he  ministered  in  this 
sanctuary,  directed  you  in  your  perplexities,  comforted  you  in 
your  sorrows,  and  by  his  example  and  his  precepts,  pointed  out 
to  you  the  path  to  heaven.  How  many  words  of  solemn  warn- 
ing he  has  spoken  in  this  place ;  how  many  urgent  entreaties  \ 
how  often  he  has  tried  to  bring  you  in  faith  and  penitence  to  the 
cross  of  Jesus ;  and  now  he  speaks  to  you  from  the  mansions  of 
the  blest,  and  beseeches  you  to  be  ready  to  meet  him  there.  If 
you  never  gave  heed  before,  O  listen  to  him  now !  He  may 
still  watbh  over  you ;  and  if  he  sees  you  one  by  one  consecrating 
your  hearts  to  Jesus,  it  will  add  to  his  joy  even  in  Paradise. 

It  is  a  day  of  mourning,  not  only  with  the  members  of  his 
own  flock,  but  with  all  Christian  people  in  the  community.  So- 
ciety has  lost  one  of  its  chief  ornaments,  works  of  charity  one  of 
their  most  generous  supporters,  the  poor  one  of  their  best  friends, 
and  the  coimtry  one  of  its  truest  and  most  loyal  citizens.  His 
sympathies  and  labors  were  not  confined  within  the  limit  of  a 
narrow  circle ;  whenever  the  heart  of  the  community  throbbed 
with  any  great  and  absorbing  emotion,  his  heart  throbbed  too  ; 
and  if  there  was  any  work  which  he  could  do  consistent  with  his 
station,  he  was  ready  and  glad  to  do  it.  In  the  welfare  of  the 
poor,  the  rescue  of  the  abandoned,  the  enlightenment  of  the 
ignorant,  and  the  purification  of  the  State,  he  took  a  profound 
and  active  interest.  He  never  forgot  that  he  was  a  citizen  as 
well  as  a  clergyman,  and  that  in  both  relations  he  had  personal 
responsibilities.  You  will  find  it  hard  to  fill  his  place,  for  his 
simple  presence  was  a  benediction. 

And  what  shall  I  say  to  my  Brethren  of  the  Clergy  and  the 
Laity  of  this  Diocese,  who  have  come  up  here  to  pay  their  last 
tribute  of  respect  to  the  remains  of  their  departed  Bishop,  their 
loved  and  loving  father?  You  do  not  need  that  I  should  remind 
you  how  much  he  has  done  for  this  Diocese,  how  ready  he  has 
been  to  respond  to  all  your  wants,  how  cheerfully  he  has  sacri- 
ficed his  own  comfort  at  your  call,  how  generously  he  has  con- 
tributed to  the  necessities  of  the  Church,  how  kincl  and  forbear- 
ing he  has  been,  how  wise  in  counsel,  and  how  tender  in  the 
hour  of  your  adversity ;  you  know  it  all,  and  feel  it  all  more 
sensibly  than  we  can  portray  it.  It  is  a  great  blessing  for  the 
first  Bishop  of  a  Diocese  to  be  such  a  man  as  he.  If  his  succes- 
sors walk  in  his  footsteps,  what  a  harvest  may  be  reaped  in  this 
portion  of  the  Lord's  vineyard  !  It  will  be  very  sad  not  to  see 
him  any  more  in  your  Conventions,  in  your  missionary  gather- 
ings, and  in  the  annual  round  of  visitations ;  pray  that  his  spirit 
may  still  abide  with  you  and  direct  all  your  doings. 


MONUMENTAL  MEMORIALS.  401 

The  Church  throughout  the  land  mourns  his  loss.  In  the 
General  Councils  of  the  Church,  no  man  will  be  more  seriously 
missed  than  he,  for  no  man  wielded  a  more  potent  and  salutary 
influence.  In  the  House  of  Bishops,  whenever  he  spoke,  all  gave 
heed.  His  fearlessness,  his  sincerity,  his  soundness  of  judgment, 
his  wise  discrimination,  and  his  strength  of  intellect,  gave  him 
a  power  which  was  almost  always  irresistible.  We  shall  all  feel 
that  there  is  a  great  void  there,  now  that  the  voices  of  the  Bishop 
of  Pennsylvania  and  the  Bishop  of  Maine  are  silent. 

But  I  must  resist  the  desire  to  dwell  any  longer  upon  this 
theme  ;  the  time  has  come  for  us  to  say  our  last  words  of  prayer 
over  these  silent  remains,  and  then  bury  him  with  his  people. 
There  is  a  mournful  pleasure  in  the  thought  that  this  precious 
dust  was  not  left  to  moulder  on  a  foreign  shore.  It  will  lie  in 
the  place  which  he  chose  for  his  burial,  and  this  will  be  a  hal- 
lowed spot  in  the  sight  of  many  generations. 

We  bear  him  forth  to  his  grave  with  slow  and  reluctant  step, 
and  many  bitter  tears  will  fall  upon  the  sod  that  covers  him ; 
but  looking  away  from  earth  we  see  his  glorified  spirit  standing 
close  by  his  Saviour's  side,  and  we  are  comforted. 

And  as  we  sing  over  his  last  resting  place  the  cheering  anthem, 
*  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,'  we  shall  hear  the 
words  echoed  back  by  a  voice  from  heaven,  and  feeling  so  sure 
that  our  friend  and  father  has  received  the  crown,  amid  all  our 
tears  and  lamentations  we  can  cry  with  exultation,  '  Thanks  be 
to  God,  who  hath  given  him  the  victory,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord  !'  " 

LIX. 

MONUMENTAL  MEMORIALS. 

At  the  head  of  the  Bishop's  grave  in  the  churchyard  at  Gar- 
diner, in  the  year  of  his  death,  the  Diocese  erected  a  monument 
in  the  form  of  a  large  marble  cross,  resting  upon  a  marble  pedes- 
tal. The  height  from  the  ground  to  the  top  of  the  cross  is  six- 
teen feet ;  and  the  breadth  of  the  arms  is  five  feet.  It  has  but 
the  mitre  and  crosier  carved  upon  it,  and  the  inscription :  on  the 
one  side — 

"George  Burgess, 

First  Bishop  of  Maine, 

Born  October  31,  1809, 

Consecrated  October  31,  1847, 

Died  April  23,  1866." 

26 


40  2  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

On  the  opposite  side — 

"Erected  by  the  Diocese  of  Maine 
In  grateful  remembrance  of  a  faithful  and  beloved  Bishop." 

To  the  testimony  of  the  large  gratitude  and  love  thus  evi- 
denced, may  be  added  one  very  significant  incident. 

All  the  summer  of  1866  loving  hands  kept  the  Bishop's  grave 
bright  with  fresh  flowers,  and  later  in  the  season  a  bimch  of  ripe 
wheat  was  placed  on  the  mound.  One  day  in  the  autumn  it 
was  discovered  that  the  wheat  had  sprouted  and  sent  up  a  mass 
of  fine  green  shoots.  On  attempting  to  raise  it  for  closer  exami- 
nation, it  was  found  that  the  roots  had  struck  deep  into  the  earth, 
and  that  it  could  not  be  removed.  May  we  not  look  upon  it  as 
prophetic,  and  have  faith  that  the  seed  which  he  sowed  will  con- 
tinue to  '  take  root  downward  and  bear  fruit  upward,'  yielding  an 
abundant  harvest? 

A  year  later  a  handsome  tablet  was  placed  in  Christ  Church, 
Gardiner,  by  the  parish,  with  this  inscription  :  — 

"In 

memory  of 

The  Right  Rev.  George  Burgess,  D.  D. 

Born  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  October  31,  1809; 

Ordained  Deacon  June  10;  Priest  November  2,  1834; 

Consecrated  Bishop  October  31,  1847; 

Rector  of  this  Church 

During  his  Episcopate ; 

Died  at  Sea  near  Hayti,  April  23,  1866. 

Learned,  judicious,  saintly; 

Living  for  Christ  and  the  Church ; 

Loving  all,  beloved  by  all; 

Faithful  in  every  trust,  even  unto  death ; 

This  tablet  is  erected 

By  a  mourning  and  grateful  Parish." 

In  the  year  following  the  death  of  the  Bishop,  Captain  J.  Igna- 
tius Stevens,  of  Gorham,  Maine,  a  valued  Parishioner  of  St. 
Luke's  Church,  Portland,  left  by  will  an  estate,  which  it  is  be- 
lieved will  not  be  less  than  seventeen  thousand  dollars,  to  Rev. 


BISHOP  COXE'S  COMMEMORATIVE   SERMON.         403 

Dr.  Burgess,  "in  trust,  to  be  expended  by  him  in  charitable 
works,  or  in  such  way  as  he  shall  deem  most  likely  to  aid 
in  keeping  in  remembrance  and  honor  the  name  of  the  good 
Bishop  Burgess." 

The  estate  will  come  into  possession  of  the  Trustee  upon  the 
death  of  the  widow  of  Captain  Stevens. 


LX. 

At  the  request  of  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  Diocese  of 
Maine,  the  Rt.  Rev.  A.  Cleveland  Coxe,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  West- 
ern New  York,  prepared  a  sermon  commemorative  of  the  life 
and  character  of  the  first  Bishop  of  ]VI,aine.  It  was  designed  to 
be  preached  in  the  Bishop's  Church  at  Gardiner,  on  the  eve  of 
All  Saints'  Day,  1866.  This  design  was  not  fulfilled,  but  it  was 
subsequently  preached  in  Providence,  Hartford,  and  Boston. 

It  has  never  been  printed,  and  is  now  kindly  furnished  by  the 
author  as  the  last  section  of  this  Memoir. 


"THE  MAN  OF  GOD, 
A  COMMEMORATIVE  SERMON. 

'Let  the  man  of  God  which  Thou  didst  send  come  again  unto  us  and  teach 
us.' — Judges  xiii.  8. 

The  commemoration  of  saints  departed  is  a  principle  re- 
cognized in  Holy  Scripture  as  full  of  practical  benefit  to  mili- 
tant saints  on  earth.      '  Remember  them who  have 

spoken  unto  you  the  Word  of  God  :  whose  faith  follow,  con- 
sidering the  end  of  their  conversation.'  In  obedience  to  this 
precept,  the  Church  has  appointed  this  feast  of  All  Saints,  con- 
cerning which  I  once  heard  your  departed  Bishop  speak  with 
warm  enthusiasm.  'It  is,'  said  he,  'one  of  the  more  modern 
of  our  festivals,  and  one  of  associations  not  altogether  pleasant, 
in  view  of  the  history  of  its  introduction  to  the  Western  Church ; 
and  yet  it  seems  to  me  one  of  those  with  which  we  should  be 
most  reluctant  to  part,  so  full  it  is  of  consoling  suggestions  and 
so  strongly  entwined  with  our  dearest  affections,  in  the  memory 
of  those  who  have  gone  before  us  to  rest.'  The  eve  of  a  feast 
which  he  so  tenderly  appreciated  is  alike  the  anniversary  of  his 


404  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

birth  and  of  his  consecration ;  thus  it  is  happily  chosen  for  this 
commemoration  which  is  threefold  in  its  nature;  a  commemora- 
tion of  his  death,  of  his  nativity,  and  of  his  Episcopate. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  do  again  what  has  been  already  done 
so  well,  to  condole  with  an  afflicted  diocese,  and  to  soothe  the 
grief  of  the  fatherless  and  the  widow.  Nor  do  I  mean  to  recite 
again  the  story,  now  so  familiarly  known,  of  his  progressive 
stages  through  life ;  nor  to  describe  anew  that  memorable  scene 
on  the  deck  of  a  little  vessel  where  he  so  calmly  gave  up  his 
spirit  to  his  Lord.  But,  supposing  all  this  to  be  known,  I  pro- 
pose in  a  reflective  way  to  recall  the  man  of  God,  and  in  the 
spirit  of  the  text  to  let  him  teach  us ;  asking  at  every  step  what 
lessons  we  ought  to  learn  from  such  an  example  as  he  has  left  to 
us.  At  such  a  time  as  this,  we  may  naturally  feel  that  it  is  a 
calamity  that  he  can  instruct  us  no  more  by  his  persuasive 
words.  His  death,  free  as  it  was  from  death's  sting,  and  full 
as  it  was  of  the  peace  which  passeth  understanding,  must  strike 
our  limited  intelligence  as  strangely  ordered,  and  prematurely 
sent,  as  a  trial  to  our  faith.  Such  a  man  was  wanted,  never 
more  than  now,  in  the  counsels  of  the  Church  ;  and  we  might 
go  on  in  this  strain  till  it  should  seem  to  be  a  murmuring  at  the 
decrees  of  Providence.  But  enough  :  He  in  whose  sight  the 
death  of  His  saints  is  precious,  has  called  him  from  his  ministry 
on  earth.  His  holy  will  be  done.  By  the  tenor  of  his  life,  and 
by  those  qualities  with  which  nature  and  education,  and,  above 
all,  the  grace  of  God  had  endowed  him,  he  can  yet,  in  our 
grateful  recollections,  'come  again  to  us  and  teach  us.' 

Let  us  first  endeavor  to  recall  something  of  the  Man.  In  re- 
membering even  good  men,  we  are  often  troubled  by  an  intru- 
sive consciousness  of  marked  and  memorable  failings,  or  at  least 
of  blemishes  not  inconsiderable,  and  of  inconsistencies  to  be 
deplored,  against  which  memory  seeks  in  vain  to  close  her  eyes. 
Our  recollections  of  Bishop  Burgess  are  singularly  free  from  such 
disturbing  considerations.  In  a  day,  when  a  low  standard  of 
personal  behavior  affects  the  manners  even  of  the  clergy,  it  is 
pleasant  to  recall  his  manly  propriety  of  conduct,  and  that  dig- 
nity of  demeanor  of  which  his  characteristic  cheerfulness  never 
deprived  him.  He  bore  about  him,  indeed,  the  air  and  manner 
of  'the  man  of  God,'  and  though  his  address  was  marked  by 
the  reverse  of  austerity  and  sanctimoniousness,  it  always  repelled 
a  vulgar  familiarity,  or  a  rude  inquisitiveness.  A  manly  front 
was  his,  aud  features  which  often  brightened  into  more  than 
comeliness.  He  had  a  natural  carriage  which  well  became  the 
Bishop,  and  his  commanding  form  inspired  the  respect  of  all 
at  first  sight.  As  a  parish  priest  I  used  to  admire  his  appear- 
ance, as  he  stood  in  the  pulpit,  in  his  cassock,  with  gown  and 


BISHOP  COKE'S  COMMEMORATIVE  SERMO.V.  405 

bands.  In  his  episcopal  robes  he  looked  as  a  prelate  should, 
at  once  the  servant  of  Christ  and  the  Master  in  Israel.  If  these 
are  qualities  the  least  essential  to  a  Bishop,  I  am  sure  they  were 
quite  subordinate  in  him,  but  I  mention  them  because  in  com- 
l)ination  with  what  is  more  important,  such  characteristics  are 
always  felt  to  be  advantages.  The  outward  man  is  often  the 
visible  token  of  the  grace  within. 

This  manliness  of  the  Bishop  was  strangely  compounded  and 
made  quite  consistent  with  something  womanly  in  his  nature ;  it 
was  not  weakness,  but  a  secret  of  power.  It  gave  him  an  in- 
stinct rather  than  a  mere  principle  of  purity,  delicacy,  and  ten- 
derness. Withal,  he  had  a  child-like  playfulness  of  thought  and 
action  which,  at  times,  he  did  not  care  to  restrain.  By  this, 
chastened  and  elevated  to  suit  the  occasion,  he  could  win  the 
confidence  of  children,  and  find  his  way  to  the  hearts  of  youth. 
Those  who  knew  him  intimately,  were  well  aware  of  his  keen 
sense  of  the  ridiculous,  and  of  his  power  of  sarcasm  when  he 
felt  called  to  expose  meanness  or  hypocrisy  or  treachery.  At 
times,  his  habitual  mildness  was  exchanged  for  virtuous  indig- 
nation, and  kindly  as  he  was  by  nature,  he  could  be  sternly 
repulsive  and  even  severe  when  he  designed  to  administer  a  de- 
served rebuke.  To  my  mind,  his  prominent  natural  character- 
istic was  his  love  of  justice.  An  unfriendly  critic,  at  times, 
might  pronounce  him  obstinate  and  even  severe,  but  when  the 
sense  of  right  was  uppermost,  and  when  he  conceived  it  his  duty 
to  assert  it,  this  obstinacy  was  pure  principle.  He  might  err  in 
judgment,  but  his  sympathies  were  always  active  in  behalf  of 
what  he  believed  to  be  just.  His  adversary  might  call  it  rigor- 
ous and  unfeeling,  but  those  who  knew  how  absolutely  his  con- 
duct was  governed  by  his  convictions  of  duty,  could  not  fail  to 
honor  his  fidelity.  And  such  sovereignty  had  this  quality  over 
his  actions,  that  I  have  often  remarked  that  it  worked  as  often 
against  his  predilections  as  it  did  with  them.  His  inclinations 
were  very  frequently  sacrificed  to  his  love  of  truth.  I  have  seen 
him,  when  dealing  with  an  opponent,  disarm  himself  and  give 
up  his  case,  instantaneously,  on  discovering  that  he  had  been 
mistaken  as  to  facts;  and  often,  from  convictions. very  unwel- 
come to  his  feelings  or  prepossessions,  I  have  seen  his  desire  to  be 
just  inspire  him  with  conduct  that  seemed  almost  like  a  romantic 
generosity.  Inch  by  inch  he  would  maintain  his  ground  against 
what  he  supposed  was  an  aggression  :  he  would  surrender  it, 
even  in  the  moment  of  victory,  if  he  perceived,  even  then,  that 
he  had  triumphed  more  by  his  skill  in  controversy,  than  by  the 
strength  of  his  cause.  In  this  consisted  the  elevation  and  no- 
bility of  his  character  ;  the  subjection  of  .his  whole  nature  to 
truth  as  he  saw  it,  and  when  he  saw  it.     This  rendered  him  in- 


4o6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

capable  of  being  a  partisan.  He  was  no  one's  man;  he  be- 
longed only  to  himself,  to  truth,  and  to  his  Master,  Christ.  It 
was  therefore  a  difficult  thing  to  stand  against  him,  on  any  ques- 
tion, in  the  councils  of  the  Church  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it 
was  a  great  thing  to  enlist  him  in  behalf  of  any  measure  dear  to 
one's  heart.  Often,  his  sense  of  justice  led  him  to  act,  for  the 
time,  with  those  who  were  by  no  means  his  favorites  ;  and  all 
men  felt  that  he  was  never  to  be  counted  on  for  any  course, 
simply  because  it  was  one  with  which  his  personal  friends  were 
concerned.  God  be  thanked  for  men  of  such  character,  I  care 
not  with  what  school  they  may  be  naturally  classed.  The  Ca- 
tholic Church  has  room  for  men  of  widely  different  sentiments, 
and  tastes,  and  opinions.  But  give  us,  for  the  credit  of  our  holy 
religion,  schools,  and  not  parties  ;  give  us  men  who  represent 
their  side  of  truth  without  a  spirit  that  is  one-sided ;  and,  above 
all,  men  like  the  departed  Bishop,  who  would  not  consent  to  gain 
a  triumph  for  truth  itself  by  any  trickery  or  foul-play,  and  who 
would  rather  fall  in  fair  fight,  than  unhorse  an  antagonist  by  a 
blow  dishonorably  dealt. 

Do  not  suppose  for  a  moment  that  I  have  attributed  to  him, 
in  any  degree,  mistakes  in  judgment,  except  such  as  are  contin- 
gent to  the  best  and  wisest  of  men.  As  a  whole,  his  life  is  singu- 
larly free  from  any  practical  error,  and  rarely  has  judgment  been 
more  infallible  than  his,  in  measures,  if  not  concerning  men.  I 
speak  as  a  representative  of  a  school,  not  by  any  means  his  own, 
and  yet  I  know  of  no  Bishop  in  whose  wisdom  I  could  more 
thoroughly  confide,  where  any  doubts  might  disturb  me.  He 
was  prudent,  perhaps  a  little  more  than  was  essential  to  the 
balance  of  his  character ;  but  who  would  not  prefer  such  an  ex- 
cess, to  any  corresponding  exaggeration  of  impulse  and  the 
spirit  of  experiment?  He  was  no  friend  of  innovation,  yet  was 
he  liberally  conservative.  Surely  the  Lord  directed  the  Diocese 
of  Maine  when  it  chose  such  a  man  for  its  first  Bishop.  The 
whole  Church  has  reaped  the  benefit  of  the  lot  that  fell  upon  him. 
His  sagacity  and  devotion  to  duty  in  the  councils  of  the  Church 
have  been  felt  in  measures  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  his 
example  will  yet  speak  to  his  brethren,  now  that  his  voice  can 
be  heard  no  more. 

In  his  intellectual  fabric  the  reason  presided  over  the  imagi- 
nation, but  his  logical  powers  were  finely  tempered  by  his  fancy. 
He  was  a  man  of  taste,  but  his  taste  never  stole  a  march  on  his 
predominant  common-sense.  He  was  a  man  of  feeling,  but  his 
sensibilities  were  under  complete  control ;  his  affections  were, 
apparently,  not  passionate,  but  they  were  strong,  they  were,  in 
nothing,  imaginative  or  artificial.  Good  sense  was  eminently 
his  characteristic.     With  much  of  the  sagacity  for  which  New 


BISHOP  COKE'S  COMMEMORATIVE  SERMON.         407 

England  is  proverbial,  his  high  moral  sentiment  relieved  it  from 
all  tendency  to  the  cunning  with  which  its  keenness  is  often  re- 
proached ;  and  if  he  had  little  of  romantic  honor,  or  mere  chi- 
valry in  his  composition,  his  integrity  was  more  than  equivalent. 
As  a  scholar,  all  these  qualities  combined  to  make  him  what  he 
was;  a  man  whose  learning  was  genuine,  not  showy;  whose  at- 
tainments were  for  use,  and  not  for  effect.  Few  of  our  clergy 
have  surpassed  him  in  solid  acquirement.  His  college  learning 
was  far  more  exact  than  is  common  in  America.  He  had  gained 
something  valuable  from  each  of  the  three  German  Universities 
at  which  he  accomplished  himself,  and  he  never  wholly  laid 
aside  his  classical  studies.  Of  the  modern  languages,  he  was 
quite  familiar  with  French,  and  German,  and  his  knowledge  of 
the  Italian  was  considerable.  His  sacred  learning,  however, 
was  his  specialty;  he  habitually  explored  his  Hebrew  Bible, 
and  his  Greek  Testament  was  open  before  him  day  and  night. 
He  delighted  in  exegetical  study,  and  in  sacred  antiquities  ;  his 
fine  fancy  and  intense  love  of  research  made  him  almost  a 
master  of  the  entire  range  of  Ecclesiastical  History;  while,  in 
the  department  of  English  Church  History,  more  especially,  he 
was  equal  to  any  of  his  contemporaries.  Without  for  a  moment 
subordinating  the  study  of  the  Scriptures  to  any  other  branch 
of  knowledge,  he  felt  very  profoundly  how  important  to  the 
thoroughbred  ecclesiastic  is  a  knowledge  of  history;  how  much 
it  is  in  the  making  up  of  any  man;  how  entirely  the  Anglican 
theologian  is  dependent  upon  it  for  the  enjoyment  of  that  moral 
supremacy  which  is  his  birthright,  and  which  it  enables  him  to 
maintain  over  the  champions  of  all  systems  which  have  sacrificed 
the  grand  historic  continuity  and  unity  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 
It  could  hardly  be  imagined  that  a  divine  so  devoted  to  his 
work,  and  so  thoroughly  practical,  should  be  also  the  general 
reader,  keeping  up  with  foreign  periodical  literature,  deeply  in- 
terested in  the  journalism  of  Europe,  and  watching  with  keen 
attention  the  rise  and  fall  of  its  political  leaders.  Yet  more  re- 
markable it  may  seem  to  some  that  such  a  man  was  familiar  with 
the  British  Peerage,  nearly  as  much  so  as  an  English  Bishop 
would  be  of  necessity;  and  yet  this  knowledge  was  the  honest 
product  of  his  reading  and  observation,  and  wholly  different 
from  that  which  is  often  obtained  at  second-hand  by  silly  pre- 
tenders to  fashion.  An  abundance  of  historic  anecdote  spiced 
his  table  talk,  and  without  any  display,  he  used  his  general 
knowledge  at  times  with  telling  effect  in  debate.  His  love  of 
English  literature  was  connected  with  his  love  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  he  cherished  as  the  privilege  of  a  Churchman,  his 
right  to  take  a  deep  interest  in  everything  that  belongs  to  the 
Mother    Church.      He  knew  her    intimately  as  a  mother ;  he 


4o8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

gloried  in  her  Reformation;  he  could  defend  her  cause  against 
the  Puritans,  and  yet  he  could  concede  to  the  latter  all  they 
might  justly  say  in  self-defence.  Her  impregnable  position,  as 
respects  the  Romish  enemy,  he  fully  understood,  and  nothing 
was  dearer  to  his  heart  than  those  principles  for  which  Ridley 
and  Latimer  suffered  at  the  stake.  Of  the  great  German  Refor- 
mers I  often  playfully  accused  him  of  being  too  partial.  He 
was  no  Calvinist,  but  for  Luther  his  admiration  was  intense ;  to 
me  it  seemed  disproportioned  and  excessive  ;  but  he  loved  his 
own  Church  more  than  all  things  on  earth,  though  his  loyalty 
to  the  Bride  was  ever  subordinate  to  a  supreme  love  of  the  hea- 
venly Bridegroom. 

And  here  is  the  place,  perhaps,  to  speak  of  that  fine  poetic 
vein  which  distinguished  him,  and  of  which  he  gave  us  evi- 
dences so  precious  though  so  few.  It  was  the  poetry  of  cul- 
ture and  of  taste  ;  it  was  generally  faultless  in  versification,  not 
elaborate  in  structure,  the  simple  expression  of  devotional 
feeling,  of  the  love  of  nature,  or  of  a  refined  patriotism.  His 
version  of  the  Psalms  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  language,  it  is 
critical  and  precise,  but  too  conscientiously  faithful  to  the  origi- 
nal to  be  appreciated  by  ordinary  readers.  Few  scholars  are 
more  familiar  than  he  with  the  best  and  greatest  of  the  English 
poets ;  he  had  much  of  their  nobler  numbers  in  his  memory ; 
and  he  delighted  in  recalling  and  criticizing  the  finest  passages 
of  the  old  English  writers.  He  thoroughly  appreciated  their 
delicate  expressions  and  quaint  forms  of  speech ;  and  his  own 
accurate  prose  was  formed,  not  by  artificial  rules  and  servile 
imitations,  but  by  familiarity  with  the  old  masters.  Well  would 
it  be  for  the  Church  if,  in  these  respects,  his  example  might  be- 
come a  tradition  ;  if  only  it  might  be  the  common  sentiment  of 
our  clergy  that,  more  than  others  in  America,  they  are  bound 
to  study  and  maintain  the  purity  of  that  language,  of  which  our 
sublime  Liturgy  and  Common  English  Bible  are  the  choicest 
treasures. 

I  have  been  tempted  to  say  much  of  the  scholar ;  it  has  sug- 
gested what  I  have  to  say  of  the  divine.  He  was  not  merely 
the  preacher,  but  as  a  pastor  his  character  was  most  exemplary. 
Among  the  poor,  I  can  bear  personal  testimony  that  he  was  ever 
going  about  doing  good,  while  he  was  a  parish  priest,  and  all 
classes  of  his  parishioners  were  blessed  by  his  faithful  attentions 
to  their  spiritual  wants.  It  is  surprising  how  intimately  he  knew 
them,  and  how  generally  he  was  their  counsellor.  I  always  felt 
that  his  example  in  this  respect  ought  to  be  kept  before  the 
younger  clergy,  as  a  stimulant  to  effort  and  exertion.  The 
secret  of  his  fidelity  was  not  that  he  '  had  a  taste  for  it,'  as  is 
sometimes  suggested  by  those  who  make  excuses  for  their  own 


BISHOP  COKE'S  COMMEMORATIVE  SERMOW  409 

inactivity.  It  was  simply  his  sense  of  duty.  Much  as  he  loved 
his  home,  and  the  society  of  friends,  their  allurements  never 
kept  him  from  the  hovel  of  the  needy,  from  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing, or  from  offices  to  the  sick  and  dying,  which  involved  great 
sacrifices  of  self,  and  which  sometimes  exacted  condescensions 
such  as  only  an  angelic  charity  could  render  proper  and  becom- 
ing. He  loved  his  darling  studies  too,  and  knew  how  to  burn 
the  midnight  oil  with  all  that  ardor  of  the  votary,  which  Milton 
so  finely  describes  in  the  Penseroso ;  but  never  did  he  suffer  this 
fine  enthusiasm  to  excuse  his  neglect  of  what  he  owed  to  the 
souls  of  men  ;  and  often  has  he  turned  from  a  vigil  with  Plato, 
to  watch,  for  Christ's  sake,  through  the  long  night  at  the  bed- 
side of  the  sick  ;  to  rear  an  altar  in  the  chamber  of  the  dying  ; 
to  awaken  the  impenitent  from  his  torpor  ;  to  present  Christ 
Jesus  to  the  haggard  soul  of  remorse ;  or  to  console  the  believer 
in  his  agony  with  the  words  of  the  Crucified.  In  short,  'he 
watched  for  souls  as  one  that  must  give  account.'  Would  to 
God  we  might  all  hope  to  render  in  such  an  account,  as  in  that 
day  shall  be  his  glory  and  his  crown  ! 

In  composing  sermons,  the  same  sense  of  duty  kept  him  ever 
at  work,  always  beforehand,  and  hence  never  forced  to  enter 
his  pulpit  without  a  message  from  God  to  dying  sinners,  or 
words  of  truth  and  love  for  the  edification  of  the  faithful.  His 
sermons,  entirely  free  from  all  meretricious  effect,  are  magnetic 
with  the  charms  of  style  ;  they  are  delightful  reading  ;  they  are 
full  of  the  love  of  souls,  and  of  the  love  of  Him  who  died  to 
save  them.  In  the  pulpit,  he  was  not  a  popular  orator,  but  he 
was  something  better  ;  he  was  an  earnest  and  attractive,  as  well 
as  an  instructive  preacher  of  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified. 
Thoroughly  evangelical  and  practical,  he  was  yet  never  tempted 
to  substitute  pious  feeling  for  religious  principle.  He  once  said 
to  me;  as  he  entered  his  vestry-room  after  service  :  '  I  hope  you 
did  not  set  me  down  for  a  mere  moralist  to-day  ;  but  I  feel  more 
and  more  that  we  all  need  to  be  taught  to  follow  the  example  of 
Christ,  as  well  as  to  trust  in  his  merits.' 

I  have  sometimes  thought  he  greatly  resembled,  in  more  re- 
spects than  one,  the  late  Dr.  Arnold  of  Rugby.  Nay,  I  have 
imagined  that  he  himself  was  aware  of  some  natural  similarities. 
But  his  theology  was  more  strictly  that  of  the  Church,  and  he 
was  entirely  free  from  Arnold's  enthusiasm.  He  had  seen  in 
America  the  ultimate  consequences  of  the  license  which  Arnold 
was  disposed  to  give  to  mere  human  speculation  in  things  divine; 
and  with  as  deep  a  distaste  for  the  Oxford  school  of  the  last  thirty 
years,  he  was  yet  a  truer  disciple  of  Hooker,  and  a  more  friendly 
critic  of  those  great  Caroline  divines  with  whom  he  somewhat 
differed.     Naturally,  he  was  of  that  school  which  rose  after  the 


41  o  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

Revolution  of  1688,  the  school  of  Tillotson  and  Seeker,  yet  he 
deplored  the  coldness  and  torpor  which  settled  upon  the  Church 
in  the  Hanoverian  age,  and  he  felt  the  warmest  sympathy  with 
the  revival  of  practical  piety  for  which  the  names  of  the  Wes- 
leys  must  ever  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance ;  and  for  which 
we  have  reason  to  bless  the  memory  of  Cowper,  of  Hannah 
More,  and  of  Wilberforce,  as  well  as  that  of  the  clergy  with 
whom  they  were  fellow-laborers. 

What  a  favor  from  Almighty  God  it  is,  when  a  character  such 
as  I  have  thus  far  imperfectly  delineated,  comes,  in  maturity  of 
years,  to  be  invested  with  the  Episcopal  Order  and  Ministry ! 
I  can  only  speak  of  the  Bishop,  however,  as  his  Episcopate  im- 
pressed me  in  a  point  of  view  somewhat  remote.  Dear  man  of 
God  !  I  used  to  cherish  still  a  fraternal  pride  in  him,  based  on 
our  long  acquaintance  and  friendship  in  early  years,  even  while 
I  revered  him  as  far  above  me,  not  a  brother  bishop,  but  a  father 
in  God.  He  sat  so  sedately  in  his  Episcopal  throne;  he  reigned 
so  modestly  there,  and  with  so  little  of  the  spirit  that  'lords  it 
over  God's  heritage,'  that  I  often  pointed  him  out  as  in  these 
respects  the  ideal  of  a  primitive  Bishop.  And  yet  he  so  firmly 
maintained  his  authority  that,  in  this  too,  he  filled  up  the  Pauline 
portrait  of  a  successor  of  the  Apostles.  He  permitted  none^to 
trifle  with  him,  in  his  high  stewardship  under  God  ;  no  man 
despised  him.  Such  a  Bishop  contributes  to  the  tone  and  charac- 
ter of  his  order.  He  made  men  feel  not  only  that  a  true  Bishop 
is  an  Apostle,  but  also  that  a  Bishop  of  the  primitive  spirit  is  a 
star  in  Christ's  right  hand.  But  there  was  a  specialty  in  the 
life  and  episcopate  of  Bishop  Burgess  which  must  not  be  over- 
looked. He  devoted  himself,  with  all  the  tenderness  of  filial 
love,  to  a  practical  resolution  of  the  religious  problems  pre- 
sented in  the  condition  of  his  own  New  England.  He  was  a 
son  of  whom  New  England  may  well  be  proud.  He  was  a  New 
Englander  in  every  pulse  of  his  heart,  as  well  as  in  every  fibre 
of  his  flesh,  and  every  atom  of  his  bone.  Dearly  did  he  love 
these  rugged  coasts ;  warmly  could  he  speak  of  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers;  earnestly  could  he  defend  even  the  sterner  features  of 
their  virtue ;  and  with  a  genuine  enthusiasm  would  he  maintain 
the  importance  of  many  characteristics  which  they  have  im- 
pressed upon  our  whole  nation.  Nor  was  it  in  a  narrow  spirit 
that  he  delighted  to  dwell,  in  prose  and  in  verse,  upon  the 
charms  of  New  England  landscape ;  upon  the  simple  beauty  of 
her  social  institutions  in  by-gone  days ;  upon  the  elevated  char- 
acter of  her  educated  classes ;  upon  her  intelligence,  her  enter- 
prise, her  public  spirit,  her  untiring  activity,  and  her  liberal  use 
of  wealth.  It  was  only  when  he  came  to  her  religious  condition 
that  the   tone  of  his  eulogy  was  changed.     Even  in  this  great 


BISHOP  COXE'S  COMMEMORATIVE  SERMON.         411 

matter  he  would  claim  much  for  her ;  he  was  not  blind  to  her 
good  works;  he  was  even  ingenious  in  framing  apologies  for 
her  spiritual  decline;  but,  with  a  heart  overflowing  with  tender- 
ness, he  lamented  the  inextricable  confusions  of  her  faith,  and 
longed  to  see  her  restored  to  communion  with  the  great  heart  of 
Christendom.  This  he  justly  felt,  and  boldly  showed,  is  a  res- 
toration which  might  be  accomplished,  by  reverting  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  those  earlier  Puritans  who,  taught  by  the  experience  of 
three  centuries,  could  find  their  natural  place  in  the  historic 
Church  of  the  'Anglo  Saxon,'  as  it  now  exists  in  America. 

To  this  solution  of  the  great  problem,  his  whole  career  points 
with  a  noble  eloquence ;  but  such  also  is  the  argument  con- 
densed in  two  of  his  little  works.  I  mean  his  historical  review 
of  the  decay  of  old  Calvinism,  and  his  sketch  of  the  origin  of  the 
New  England  ministry.  In  the  one,  he  shows  what  results  have 
followed  the  attempts  of  the  early  settlers  to  found  a  religion 
without  creeds,  without  a  liturgy,  and  without  a  historical 
ministry;  in  the  other,  he  shows  that  the  primitive  pastors  of 
New  England  were,  in  large  proportion,  ordained  presbyters  of 
the  Church  of  England,  owing  their  best  characteristics  to  their 
nurture  in  her  pale,  and  enabled,  by  what  she  had  done  for 
them,  to  do  what  they  did  for  America.  At  the  same  time,  he 
leaves  the  reader  to  draw  his  own  inferences,  as  to  what  might 
have  been  the  fruits  of  their  piety  in  these  latter  days,  had  they 
only  understood  the  danger  of  breaking  off  from  historical  com- 
munion with  the  Holy  Church,  in  all  the  world,  and  of  substi- 
tuting inorganic  and  speculative  institutions  for  the  primitive 
system  and  the  Catholic  creed.  The  consequences  of  their  rash 
experiment  are  such  as  it  would  have  shocked  them  to  contem- 
plate. I  hazard  nothing  in  saying  that,  could  they  rise  from 
their  graves  and  see  the  form  which  their  Mother  Church  has 
taken  in  this  country,  as  enfranchized  from  State  thraldom,  and 
organized  with  due  reference  to  the  rights  of  the  presbytery  and 
the  laity,  they  would  not  only  urge  their  descendants  to  unite 
with  us,  but,  in  view  of  their  too  general  departure  from  the 
Faith  of  the  Gospel,  would  lament  that  they  themselves  had  not 
discovered  in  due  time  those  great  principles  of  organic  Chris- 
tianity, by  which  that  Faith  would  have  been  transmitted  to  their 
offspring  whole  and  undefiled. 

Of  all  parts  of  our  country,  the  most  homogeneous  in  its  pop- 
ulation, and  the  most  thoroughly  English,  it  may  justly  claim 
the  best  blood  in  the  nation,  even  in  that  sense  of  the  term  in 
which  it  has  been  so  persistently  challenged  by  our  brethren  at 
the  South.  It  is  not  my  desire  to  diminish,  in  any  reipect,  their 
reverence  for  their  own  history,  nor  do  I  care  to  dwell  on  such 
a  claim  for  New  England,  yet  I  assert,  with  a  full  understanding 


412  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

of  what  I  say,  that  if  the  talk  be  of  ancestry,  there  is  an  old 
escutcheon  here  for  every  one  that  is  lifted  there,  and  that  those 
who  claim  them  are  ready  to  see  their  pretensions  sifted,  or  to 
have  their  heraldic  colors  searched  for  a  blot.  In  nothing  is 
New  England  behind  the  chiefest  of  her  sisters  in  the  Republic. 
I  am  not  afraid  to  meet  her  enemies  in  the  gate ;  and  yet,  as  in 
some  sense  one  of  her  children,  I  am  deeply  sensible  of  her 
faults:  I  feel  them  and  I  fear  them.  I  see  her  rapid  degeneracy 
in  religion,  and  I  dread  the  consequences  for  herself  and  for 
the  nation,  of  her  tremendous  energies,  her  mental  forces,  and 
her  physical  activity,  when  I  see  them  all  working  towards  so- 
cial disintegration,  and  to  a  state  of  things  in  which  there  can  be 
no  practical  appeal  to  conscience  and  to  the  fear  of  God. 

The  time  is  at  hand,  when  the  pious  intellect  of  New  England 
can  no  longer  affect  to  sneer  at  those  grand  principles  to  which 
its  forefathers  turned  a  deaf  ear,  when  they  were  expounded  by 
the  immortal  Hooker,  in  tones  of  prophetic  warning  and  of 
lamentation,  worthy  of  Jeremiah.  How  wonderfully  has  the 
religious  history  of  New  England  verified  and  glorified  those 
laws  of  ecclesiastical  polity.  I  say  again,  and  I  wish  Andover, 
and  Harvard,  and  New  Haven  might  hear  me,  the  time  is  at 
hand  when  those  old  books  must  be  studied  anew,  and  when 
their  undying  argument  will  reassert  its  power.  Even  now  those 
principles  are  moving  the  nations ;  they  are  creating  reformers 
in  the  east  and  in  the  west ;  they  are  restoring  the  life  and  vigor 
of  Nicene  Unity  to  long  estranged  portions  of  the  family  of 
Christ.  When  this  movement  begins  to  be  understood  in  New 
England,  then  the  life  and  character  of  Bishop  Burgess  will  be 
felt  in  all  her  schools,  as  pointing  out  the  true  resource  of  her 
sons.  The  memory  of  Leighton,  even  now,  is  becoming  as  a 
load-star  to  Scotland  :  I  think  it  will  not  be  long  before  thou- 
sands in  New  England  will  find  a  guide  out  of  anxiety  and 
doubt  and  unbelief,  in  the  holy  and  luminous  example  of  Bur- 
gess. 

And  here  I  cannot  forbear  to  mention  tenderly,  yet  in  strong- 
est contrast,  the  name  of  Channing.  It  seems  to  me  that  his 
splendid  failure  was  due  to  the  very  natural  mistake  he  made  in 
breaking  away  from  old  Calvinism,  without  first  patiently  study- 
ing its  historical  struggles  in  the  Church  of  England,  and  the 
nature  of  that  controversy  in  which,  as  I  have  hinted,  their 
fundamental  errors  were  so  admirably  detected  and  exposed  by 
Hooker. 

Channing  felt  intensely  the  dissocial  element  which  old  Puri- 
tanism had  bequeathed  to  his  native  State ;  he  saw  in  its  civili- 
zation something  unlovely,  and  he  felt  that  its  repulsive  ortho- 
doxy was,  somehow,  at  the  root  of  that  which   he  so  ardently 


BISHOP  COKE'S  COMMEMORATIVE  SERMON.  4^3 

longed  to  reform.  His  conflict  with  it  seems  to  have  been  un- 
premeditated, but,  once  at  open  war,  he  felt  himself  pushed  out 
of  it  into  that  negative  position,  which  his  taste  and  genius  suf- 
ficed to  decorate,  as  something  personal  to  himself,  but  to  which 
nothing  could  impart  the  force  of  a  substantial  system,  or  of  a 
positive  Faith  capable  of  regenerating  and  vitalizing  a  great 
people.  Hence,  though  the  life  and  character  of  Channing 
may  be  profitably  studied  as  part  of  the  history  of  his  times,  it 
has  failed  to  transmit  anything  palpable  to  ours.  To  what  does 
it  clearly  point  ?  What  that  he  taught  is,  even  now,  definitely 
and  aggressively  held,  even  by  those  who  most  admire  his  ge- 
nius? Has  he  left  even  a  school  in  New  England,  that  insists  on 
his  forms  of  thought  and  opinion  as  meeting  the  evils  he  wished 
to  remedy  ?  I  believe  no  one  will  assert  it.  He  failed  to  un- 
derstand the  disease;  he  could  not  prescribe  the  cure.  Nay,  he 
has  unconsciously  aggravated  the  essential  evil  to  which  the  re- 
ligious confusions  of  New  England,  and  all  that  is  unlovely  in 
its  social  state,  may  be  reasonably  traced.  That  evil  is  the  pure 
individualism  which  its  founders  ventured  to  substitute  for  or- 
ganic unity  and  the  visible  communion  of  saints.  The  polity  of 
the  old  Calvinists  separated  children  from  parents,  and  neigh- 
bor from  neighbor,  just  as  it  individualized  every  several  con- 
gregation, and  severed  it  from  all  visible  unity  with  the  rest  of 
Christendom.  Still  it  designed  to  leave  the  bond  of  a  common 
faith,  and  even  imagined  that  this  bond  would  prove  the  more 
powerful  because  wholly  freed  from  creeds  and  sacraments. 
But  it  was  reserved  for  Channing  to  dissipate  this  delusion ;  his 
history  proves  how  impossible  it  is  to  preserve  the  Faith  itself 
without  external  forms  and  instruments,  and  at  the  same  time  it 
illustrates  the  ultimate  consequences  of  Individualism,  in  de- 
stroying even  the  spiritual  unity  of  professed  Christians.  His 
rejection  of  the  cardinal  truths  of  the  Gospel  dissolved  the  last 
fibres  of  unity  between  his  followers  and  the  world  of  believing 
Christians  ;  his  negations,  if  accepted  by  others,  must  more  and 
more  demoralize  and  disintegrate  the  religion  of  the  land.  His 
position  is  useful  only  as  illustrating  a  reduction  to  the  absurd, 
of  the  principles  with  which  Puritanism  itself  had  inclined  his 
mind,  in  spite  of  his  loving  heart.  As  sons  of  the  old  Puritan 
stock  of  New  England,  who  early  in  life  discovered  the  effete 
condition  of  its  Orthodoxy,  and  who  struggled  out  of  it  in 
widely  different  directions,  I  find,  therefore,  in  the  lives  and 
characters  of  Burgess  and' Channing  much  that  is  worthy  of  being 
contrasted  or  compared.  Both  were  men  of  polite  culture,  of  a 
nature  refined  and  sensitive,  and  entitled  by  birth  and  education 
to  a  high  position  in  society.  Both  were  men  of  mark  from 
their  youth ;  the  essays  of  Channing  were  fortunate  in  attracting 


4T4  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

the  attention  of  critics,  but  the  sermons  of  Burgess  are  not  less 
attractive  in  style,  and  are  such  as  the  caprices  of  literary  fashion 
will  be  less  likely  to  reject.  If  the  one  was  the  more  popular  as 
a  rhetorician,  the  other  was  the  deeper  thinker  and  the  more 
practical  teacher.  Channing  was  naturally  humane,  but  Bur- 
gess was  conscientiously  beneficent.  The  former  thought  pri- 
marily for  man's  temporal  welfare;  the  latter  could  teach  him 
how  to  ennoble  the  sorrows  and  sufferings  of  this  life,  in  follow- 
ing the  Redeemer  and  working  out  eternal  salvation  through 
His  blood.  The  one  was  sensitive  to  the  wants  of  humanity; 
the  other  felt  still  more  profoundly  the  provision  that  has  been 
made  for  the  human  race  by  the  Incarnate  God.  Both  disco- 
vered that  the  cold  intellectual  light  of  Edwards,  and  even  the 
more  genial  brilliancy  of  Dwight,  were  no  longer  capable  of 
warming  men's  hearts  and  minds  into  satisfaction  with  an  unlov- 
ing and  unlovely  Puritanism ;  but  Channing  sought  his  relief  by 
discarding  from  Puritanism  its  only  good  thing,  namely,  that 
Orthodoxy  which  it  had  retained  from  the  Creed  of  the  Church; 
while  Burgess,  grateful  to  God  for  that,  not  only  embraced  it 
ardently,  but,  by  means  of  it,  found  his  way  back  to  the  Church 
itself,  the  rejection  of  whose  Creed  and  Liturgy  and  primitive 
organization,  had  been  the  fatal  mistake  to  which  all  the  other 
mistakes  of  Puritanism  might  be  logically  and  historically  traced. 
Thus  Channing  threw  himself  into  the  cheerless  abstractions  of 
rationalism,  but  Burgess  found  his  orbit  in  the  pathway  of  Faith 
about  Christ  Jesus,  the  Central  Sun.  Channing  never  disco- 
vered that  Christianity  was  other  than  a  system  of  morals,  con- 
tained in  a  venerable  book,  on  which  he  was  at  liberty  to  build 
his  own  theories  and  speculations ;  but  Burgess  discovered  that 
the  book  itself  was  committed  as  a  law  to  our  visible  Church, 
and  that  this  Church  was  the  form  in  which  Christ  himself  left 
His  system  to  the  world,  with  the  promise  'that  the  gates  of 
Hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it.'  Hence,  the  one  became  an 
isolated  doctor,  bequeathing  to  his  age  just  so  much  as  his  per- 
sonal influence  might  make  men  accept ;  but  the  other  took  his 
place  in  a  line  of  witnesses,  as  a  wise  master  builder,  rearing  the 
positive  institutions  of  Christ,  in  new  fields,  and  leaving  them  to 
his  legitimate  successors  to  perpetuate  and  develop.  In  effect, 
the  one  threw  little  else  than  solvents  into  the  social  and  reli- 
gious world,  all  tending  to  break  down,  to  separate,  and  to  de- 
stroy ;  the  other  was  a  workman  in  the  cause  of  construction  and 
repair,  reducing  what  he  found  in  chaos  to  order,  to  system,  to 
unity  and  harmony  of  operation  and  design.  Channing,  in  a 
word,  in  spite  of  his  estimable  traits  and  his  undoubted  philan- 
thropy, was  forced  by  his  fundamental  error  to  come  and  go  as 
the  meteor  of  a  sect,  sparkling  for  the  moment,  but  expiring  in 


BISHOP  COKE'S  COMJMEMORAriVR  SERMON.  415 

a  marsh,  leaving  no  definite  track  and  pointing  out  no  way  in 
which  successive  generations  may  be  made  and  moulded  for 
glory  in  Christ  Jesus;  but  Burgess  was  himself  a  simple  follower 
in  the  footsteps  of  the  faithful,  and  his  lamp  was  brighter  and 
brighter  unto  the  perfect  day,  showing  to  young  and  old  how 
to  walk  with  God,  by  adhering  steadfastly  to  the  Faith  once  de- 
livered to  the  saints.  By  the  vacillating  sentiments  which  were 
the  last  utterances  of  Channing,  one  is  deeply  impressed  with 
the  conviction  that  his  feet  were  in  the  quicksands,  and  that  his 
fine-spun  theories  gave  him  no  support  at  the  last ;  but  the  dying 
days  of  Burgess  show  how  vast  is  the  advantage  of  one  who  is 
able  to  say:  *I  have  kept  the  Faith;'  '  I  know  whom  I  have 
trusted;'  'Let  the  winds  blow  and  the  floods  descend,  I  have 
built  upon  the  Rock  of  Ages;'  'I  shall  never  be  confounded.' 
Such  was  the  spirit  and  the  testimony  of  Bishop  Burgess'  Episco- 
pate, and  it  is  a  beacon  of  light  to  New  England.  In  the  disor- 
ganized and  inharmonious  religious  condition  of  Maine,  it  is 
already  producing  a  blessed  result.  He  found  there  an  almost 
universal  ignorance  of  the  Church,  and  the  most  discordant 
views  of  the  Gospel.  He  has  left  a  deep  impression  on  the 
minds  of  thinking  men  in  Maine,  in  favor  of  the  system  of  which 
he  was  a  minister,  and  his  successor  will  reap  a  glorious  harvest 
where  he  sowed  in  tears  or  labored  only  to  prepare  the  soil.  He 
preached  no  speculative  Christ,  the  Christ  of  mere  humanity, 
transfigured  by  men's  fancies  into  the  hero  of  social  and  civil 
reformations ;  neither  was  he  of  those  who  gather  not  with 
Christ,  and  so  scatter  and  reap  nothing.  But  he  had  a  sweet 
confidence  in  the  Master  as  Divine,  and  as  able  to  direct  all 
faithful  labor  to  a  glorious  end  ;  so  that  even  in  failing  health, 
and  dying  before  his  time,  he  enjoyed  a  blessed  contentment,  in 
the  belief  that  he  had  not  labored  in  vain,  but  that  all  in  the 
Lord's  way  his  apostolic  work  should  bear  its  fruit,  and  that  the 
cross  which  was  reared  by  Richard  Weymouth,  on  the  shore  of 
the  Penobscot,  before  the  Pilgrims  came,  was  a  sign  and  fore- 
tokening of  the  ultimate  religion  of  New  England,  and  of  the 
triumph  of  that  holy  faith,  from  which  New  England  never  would 
have  declined,  had  the  Pilgrims  transmitted  it  to  their  children, 
in  the  same  apostolic  institutions  from  which  they  received  it ; 
in  that  venerable  Church  which  they  sometimes  called  their  dear 
Mother,  speaking  of  her  like  the  exiles  of  Babylon,  when  they 
wept  to  remember  Zion. 

What  a  legacy  to  the  Church  in  America  is  such  a  character  as 
we  have  thus  reviewed ;  such  a  walk  with  God ;  such  an  example 
in  the  pastoral  work  of  the  priesthood  and  the  Episcopate !  In 
the  survey  of  so  many  ignoble  lives  as  are  wasted  around  us,  how 
refreshing  the  contrast  !     How  often  we  observe  a  concentration 


41 6  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

of  time  and  talents  upon  the  one  sordid  thought  of  gain,  or  in 
some  way  upon  self-aggrandizement !  How  general  is  the  spec- 
tacle of  gifts  and  energies  all  directed  to  the  attainment  of  posi- 
tion and  reputation !  How  widely  the  youthful  activities  of  our 
countrymen  are  absorbed  in  the  ephemeral  struggles  and  issues 
of  partisan  politics !  How  often  are  less  selfish  natures  enlisted 
in  cold  intellectual  speculations  and  visionary  schemes  of  human 
progress  !  How  utterly  disconnected  with  the  development  of 
God's  life  in  man's  soul  are  the  theories  with  which  their  fa- 
vorite teachers  amuse  our  countrymen !  How  fearfully  do  their 
chosen  oracles  exaggerate  their  estimate  of  things  temporal,  at 
the  expense  of  things  eternal !  But  from  all  these  low  pursuits, 
and  from  all  these  arts  of  popularity,  the  life  we  are  considering 
was  wholly  withdrawn.  It  was  sanctified  to  one  glorious  pur- 
pose, and  directed  to  the  grand  results  which  Revelation  pro- 
poses as  the  final  cause  of  all  things.  Our  beloved  Bishop 
believed  in  the  mission  of  the  Son  of  God  to  a  sinful  world ;  he 
knew  the  great  secret,  that  nothing  real  can  be  done  for  man- 
kind except  in  carrying  on  that  mission  in  the  appointed  way. 
Hence,  even  in  failing  health,  and  in  view  of  a  work  incomplete 
and  falling  far  below  his  mark,  there  was  about  all  his  doings 
and  in  all  his  conversation,  a  serenity  and  composure  which 
nothing  but  Faith  can  supply.  This  is  the  spirit  of  that  Journal 
of  his  closing  life  and  ministry  which  has  already  been  pub- 
lished. How  entirely  it  is  free  from  the  complaints  of  the  vale- 
tudinarian; how  full  of  the  pious  breathings  of  one  at  peace 
with  God  and  man,  and  wholly  contented  with  his  lot !  Econo- 
mizing every  hour  for  some  unselfish  purpose,  he  passes  from 
isle  to  isle,  upon  those  tropic  seas,  as  an  angel  might  range  from 
star  to  star  in  the  blue  deep  of  heaven,  ever  ready  to  mount  up- 
ward to  the  throne.  No  breeze  from  those  fragrant  shores  ;  no 
morning  or  evening  tint  in  their  sunny  skies;  no  variety  of  their 
foliage;  no  glimpse  of  their  shrouded  dells;  no  view  of  their 
aspiring  mountains  ;  no  gush  of  their  rivulets  ;  no  song  of  their 
birds ;  in  short,  nothing  that  meets  his  eye  or  ear  fails  to  excite 
his  cheerful  interest,  or  to  awaken  fresh  thoughts  of  God's  love 
to  all  his  creatures.  Even  the  fish-market  supplies  him  with 
elevated  reflections  upon  creative  skill,  as  he  regales  his  sight 
with  the  prismatic  hues,  and  marvellous  varieties  of  the  creatures 
that  stock  the  tropical  waters.  His  vivid  descriptions  gave  me 
new  ideas  of  the  appropriateness  of  Solomon's  imagery,  in  com- 
paring the  eyes  of  the  Shulamite  to  the  fish-pools  of  Bathrabbim. 
So  fine  a  poetic  vein  runs  through  all  his  contemplations  of 
nature ;  he  is  never  sentimental,  but  he  is  ever  thoughtful  and 
devout,  and  he  fully  appreciates  all  inferior  objects,  in  their  re- 
lations to  the   Creator.     But  after  all  it  is  man   that  fills  his 


BISHOP  COXE'S  COMMEMORATIVE  SERMON.  4^7 

heart,  immortal  man,  vile  where  all  else  is  beautiful,  and  bear- 
ing deeper  scars  of  the  primal  fall  than  anything  else  upon  the 
little  planet  of  which  he  was  created  lord.  Nor  is  it  man,  as 
seen  by  the  mere  philanthropist,  who  limits  his  ideas  of  progress 
by  this  world ;  but  now,  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  and 
capable  of  such  renewal  by  grace,  even  here,  as  restores  much 
of  his  original  glory,  and  yet  enables  him  to  exclaim,  by  faith, 
'  It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be.'  So  went  our  Apostolic 
Bishop,  with  his  loving  heart,  amid  those  reefs  of  coral,  seeking 
the  goodly  pearls  of  human  souls.  He  was  not  too  ill  to  remem- 
ber that  the  disease  of  sin  is,  after  all,  the  only  real  malady,  and 
he  felt  that  he  could  make  even  his  search  of  health  subservient  to 
his  great  work  as  a  servant  of  the  good  Physician  in  seeking,  like 
him,  and  trying  to  save  souls  that  are  lost.  If  there  be  a  condi- 
tion of  humanity  apart  from  that  of  abject  heathenism,  which 
more  than  others  is  without  charm  for  the  man  of  taste,  I  suppose 
it  is  found  in  that  of  the  unhappy  race  who  have  survived  the 
ravages  of  slavery,  of  insurrection,  of  revolutions,  and  of  des- 
potism, spiritual  as  well  as  temporal,  in  the  Isle  of  St.  Domingo. 
Yet  it  was  to  these  wretched  men,  reduced  by  false  religion  to 
an  apparent  incapacity  for  the  blessings  of  freedmen;  it  was  to 
these  unlovely  specimens  of  our  kind  that  the  loving  heart  of  the 
Bishop  warmed  so  freshly  ere  it  grew  cold  forever ;  and  to  these 
he  devoted  the  last  energies  of  a  mind  that  could  not  rest  from 
its  labors  while  anything  was  visible  that  he  might  do.  To  cast 
some  seeds  of  life  upon  the  soil  of  Hayti ;  to  console  and  sup- 
port its  few  laborers  in  the  Lord's  harvest;  to  awaken  an  inte- 
rest here  among  us  in  behalf  of  that  abode  of  common  misery ; 
this  was  a  task  to  which  he  was  yet,  as  he  supposed,  fully  equal, 
and  in  fulfilling  it,  it  pleased  God  to  allot  the  consummation  of 
his  career.  As  a  beacon-fire  burns  out  on  some  forlorn  coast, 
but  even  in  expiring  invites  the  eye  and  av^akens  the  solicitude 
of  far-off  watchers,  so  the  bright  light  of  the  Bishop  went  out  in 
that  distant  horizon  in  order  to  turn  our  thoughts  and  anxieties 
towards  the  objects  of  his  latest  labors  of  love. 

When  Henry  Martyn  expired  at  Tocat,  like  the  morning-star 
at  sunrise,  the  orient  glowed  and  fired  upon  the  vision  of  the 
west,  and  the  returning  day  of  the  Eastern  Churches  began  to 
remind  us  of  Christian  brethren  too  long  forgotten,  and  of  duties 
too  long  neglected. 

When  Bishop  Heber  was  swept  away,  as  by  a  translation,  from 
his  apostolic  work  in  India,  ten  thousand  hearts  were  inspired 
with  his  own  enthusiasm  for  enthroning  Christ  on  the  ruins  of 
Brahminism ;  and  the  Foreign  Missions  of  England  took  a  new 
life  and  energy,  as  if  a  double  portion  of  his  spirit  had  been  shed 
down  with  the  falling  mantle  of  his  Episcopate. 
27 


41 8  MEMOIR  OF  BISHOP  BURGESS. 

So  it  pleased  God  that  our  Burgess  should  die  no  common 
death  amid  the  stern  duties  of  his  immense  diocese ;  it  was 
ordered  that  his  beloved  name  should  be  forever  associated 
with  missions.  Do  I  venture  too  far  in  thus  interpreting  a  mys- 
terious Providence?  I  think  not.  For  if  never  before,  yet  now, 
the  unhappy  Haytiens  are  commended  to  us  as  a  people  who 
may  be  "made  to  '  walk  in  white. '  At  the  moment  when  the  blacks 
of  our  own  country  are  thrown  upon  our  Christian  sympathies, 
as  a  burden  almost  too  heavy  for  us  to  bear,  it  has  pleased  God 
to  enlarge  our  work  for  Africa  by  adding  this  work,  also,  in 
Hayti.  It  is  to  enlarge  our  faith,  rather;  to  convince  us  that  the 
work  is  His  ;  that  He  can  enable  us,  by  increase  of  faith,  to  move 
this  mountain  too.  Five  loaves  and  two  fishes  are  not  appre- 
ciably less  for  ten  millions  than  for  four.  The  work  is  God's; 
the  glory  is  His  only;  but,  it  is  His  way  first  to  move  us  to  share 
His  own  compassions.  Then  He  does  the  miracles;  and  He  can 
feed  Hayti  and  all  Africa,  too,  in  answer  to  our  prayers  and 
feeble  efforts,  as  easily  as  he  can  enable  us  to  do  something  for 
the  South.  Let  us  follow,  then,  where  His  Providence  points, 
and  where  Burgess  has  opened  the  way.  '  Go,  ye  swift  ships, 
to  a  nation  scattered  and  peeled.'  So  I  read  the  parable  of 
that  death  upon  the  open  deck,  which  the  Lord  gave  to  our 
Bishop.  Leighton  wished  to  die  at  an  inn  as  becomes  a  'pil- 
grim and  a  sojourner,'  and  so  he  did.  Burgess  fell  asleep  as  a 
pilgrim  and  a  passenger  too,  but  more  like  a  missionary  and  an 
apostle.  It  reminds  me  of  a  great  worldly  hero  falling  in  naval 
warfare,  and  calling  on  'every  man  to  do  his  duty;'  but  Bur- 
gess died  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  no  flag  of  earthly  dominion;  his 
example  rallies  the  faithful  to  the  triumphs  of  the  cross,  and  to 
extend  the  peaceful  conquests  of  the  Lamb  of  God.  Other  con- 
tests have  empurpled  the  ocean;  but  his  soldiership  was  that 
which  destroys  not  men's  lives,  but  saves.  His  dying  ambition 
was  to  set  Christ's  dominion  in  the  seas,  and  to  see  the  isles  sub- 
jected to  the  sceptre  of  His  love.  I  ask,  therefore,  that  his 
dying  testimony  may  kindle  a  holy  ardor  for  missions  among 
all  who  have  felt  his  influence,  or  who  may  learn  of  it  through 
my  words.  Too  long  has  Hayti  borne  the  name  and  suffered 
from  the  ferocious  spirit  of  the  inquisitors  of  St.  Dominic ;  but 
surely  that  Aceldama  may  have  a  future  less  miserable,  and  we 
may  do  much  to  give  her  a  purer  religion  and  to  make  her  an 
instrument  for  evangelizing  Africa  itself.  Nor  shall  his  beloved 
Diocese  of  Maine  be  less  blessed  because  she  gave  him  to  the 
poor  and  miserable.  Happy  are  the  faithful  there,  and  hai)py 
shall  be  his  successor,  if  only  their  own  missionary  work  at  home 
shall  always  be  mixed  with  his  spirit  of  universal  evangelization. 
'Tis  the  paradox  of  grace,  that  to  do  much  for  ourselves  we  must 


BISHOP  COKE'S  COMMEMORATIVE  SERJMON.  419 

devise  liberal  things  for  others;  and  deeply  knowing  and  feeling 
the  wants  of  that  easternmost  Diocese  of  our  Church,  I  pray  Gocl 
that  as  it  is  foremost  in  our  geography,  stretching  out  towards 
other  lands  and  continents,  so  it  may  be  built  up  and  magnified 
itself,  by  perpetuating  the  spirit  of  its  first  Bishop ;  the  spirit,  I 
say,  of  world-wide  evangelization.  This  is  the  glorious  spirit  of 
the  Son  of  God,  and  it  ennobles  and  glorifies  men  just  in  pro- 
portion as  they  share  it.  This  is  then  the  crowning  glory  of  the 
departed  father  in  Christ,  on  some  of  whose  qualities  we  have 
dwelt  in  fond  recollection ;  and  if  so,  the  Master  Himself  shall 
tell  the  rest,  in  that  day  when  the  faithful  shall  receive  their 
reward.  Oh  !  what  a  reward  that  shall  be  to  see  the  Master 
Himself  and  to  lose  sight  of  Him  no  more  forever,  entering  into 
the  joy  of  the  Lord." 


DATE  DUE 


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